Not Quite Secret

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-men. Ignore the distinctly Cajun-accented voice coming from my closet. It's nothing. Just mice. Cajun mice. Yeah, that's it. Mice.

Author's Note: Greetings and Salutations! This is an idea that's been floating and bubbling in my head for awhile. It's a nice bit of romantic fluff, but the fun part is, I'm not telling you who it's about! You get to guess, so no accents or anything, cause that would make it too easy. About halfway through, I'll tell you who one person is, and the last lines will tell you who the other is. It's a fun little game for me, and it should be fun for you too! So without further ado, let the games begin!

I know it is wrong. I knew it was wrong, and I knew it had been wrong since the very beginning.

He had known it was wrong, too. He had told me so the first moment he had taken me into his arms and hushed my sobs and kissed the tears from my eyes. But we did not care. How could we, and why should we care? The line we are crossing has been crossed before. The consequences are not fatal even if we are to be caught. And love is stronger than anything, he tells me. We are strongest together.

That is why I feel so alone without him. His name is doodled in countless margins, little hearts and stars around it. It isn't just me, though. He takes us to extremes. There is a tree hidden in the woods behind the high school, our names carved in it, one of those ME + YOU FOREVER kind of things, surrounded by a heart. It's huge. When I first saw it, I yelled at him, ranted and railed. What if it gets found?

He told me not to worry so much. Which is silly, and just makes me worry more. But now… especially now, I gather a kind of strength from it. That tree is a living testament to us. I don't feel like such a deceiver. It's not quite a secret. At least the tree knows.

A few days ago… he told me that wasn't enough. He says to me "I don't want to hide from your friends anymore. My pals took this news alright." He was right: they had. The Brotherhood is surprisingly good about some things. "We don't need to hide." He took my hands and gave me a watery-eyed stare. "I love you."

He sprung that one on me fast. But fast never surprises me with him. I paused, and he pouted. "Don't you love me?"

I knew it was a trick, a low, dirty trick. I knew that. But I couldn't help it. I told him I loved him too.

"Well then, let's tell them. We can be open about it."

It's not so easy, I tell him. Never that easy.

"Oh, come on. This isn't so bad."

So bad. So bad? I get flashbacks of the moment the world found out I was a mutant. That bad? Maybe that bad. Like that? Just like that. This hard. This secret. It feels like a betrayal, to whom I don't know, but betrayal, any way you slice it.

So this time I didn't answer him. I saw his big beautiful eyes shining at me with glistening tears. But I couldn't answer him. I wouldn't answer him. To this, there was nothing for me to say.

It was a week ago, exactly a week ago from now. We haven't spoken since. I've been thinking about what he said, wishing I could just do what he wanted of me. I want to do it, I think. I want to tell all my friends at the Institute. Yes, I am an X-man, yes, he's our enemy, and yes, I love him and he loves me. That's all.

But, do we even have a relationship anymore? Did our fight constitute a breakup? He'd been pretty upset with me. And a full week… I don't know. I'm not so experienced with relationships as one might think.

So at lunchtime, I fob off some excuse on my friends and go off in search of him, being careful to look like I'm only going to the bathroom. I don't want them following me.

I have to find him. Its all I know to do at this point.

He's standing with his tough guy friends. I can't be seen with all them in public. It might get back to the Institute… and that's not how I want it to go down.

He's showing off for them, bragging, so in character for him that it warms my heart just to see. Eventually, I'll need to get his attention, but for now I just watch him…

I catch his eye, and his expression goes to a cautious neutral. I need a sign from him… I smile. Not enough; no reaction. Time for the big guns.

I look around. No one's watching.

I mouth "I love you."

He smiles.

There's my sign. Maybe I can do this.

AN: Well, originally this was one chapter, but it got out of control and now is two…. But that works out better cause now you all have time to guess who the couple is!

Cookies to anyone who gets it right!

Luka