Author's Notes: Well, this is my first real attempt at a Marvel Universe fanfic. For my first attempt... I'm doing Alex/Sean because they were so blatant in the film I couldn't help myself, so please go easy on me. I'm attempting to write again after so long. For those of you on Tumblr, you may have read this as Sunshine and Songs, but I changed the title because I felt the original one simply didn't do enough justice to it. To establish, I've shifted the timeline to 2010 instead, making this modern!AU, I think.
Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to Marvel Comics and their affiliates, in this case, the X-Men: First Class film and all related to it.
A Little Nudge, A Big Leap
It's been two months since they barely escaped with their lives… The beach, Professor X getting shot, Mystique leaving them to go with Magneto's Brotherhood… Since then, Hank's locked himself up in his lab with the Professor, working on another version of Cerebro. They want to turn this place into a school, to teach others like them… Havok… No… It was just Alex now – stomped moodily through the empty halls of the Xavier mansion, each step echoing of the lacquered tiles and the walls.
Two months, and he was still getting used to Raven not gliding down the hallways to get them for breakfast. Of Erik no longer pushing them in training while staring at Charles longingly (they could all see it, especially when both older men didn't think they were looking.) Nowadays the four of them just made meals for themselves or re-heated what was left from the last time someone dared to cook. Alex's mood was not helped by the fact that Sean had taken to flying all the time, choosing that as his distraction from their losses. One could say they were all mourning the family they were supposed to have – the friends that should still be here, filling this house with the same raucous laughter that they did that night.
Alex's thoughts then went to the battle in Cuba… How he went up against Angel and Azazel, and how Sean had risked himself to save Alex.
'I haven't even thanked him properly…' He thought, snorting as he found his way to the kitchen, he was hungry and there was some leftover Chinese from the yesterday. He scratched his bare arms, and yawned. He'd always preferred a tank top and sweatpants for sleeping.
He opened the door and sitting on the counter with a cardboard takeout box in his hand, the sun bouncing off his hair, giving it the appearance of flame as he gobbled down what was probably the kung pow beef Alex had been after – was Sean, still in his pajamas. Alex was mesmerized by how the younger boy looked, sitting there, contentedly chewing on the chicken without looking at his surroundings.
It brought a smile to Alex's face. He wasn't confused. He knew he was gay, always had. And now here he was, watching the target of his affections eat what was supposed to be his food.
"Sean…" Alex said, clearing his throat.
Sean's head shot up as he chewed, his green eyes widened when he saw Alex, and swallowed.
"Uh…" The ginger began. "Was this yours?"
Alex marched over, snatching the box gruffly from Sean and looked. Orange Chicken. Not his.
"Hh. Nope. " He said, shoving the box back in the younger boy's hands and padding over to the fridge, intent on finding his food.
"Thanks…" Alex said, still rummaging in the fridge.
"For what?" Sean replied, shoveling another spoonful of beef into his mouth.
"For saving my life. In Cuba… Two months ago." Alex said as he turned around, the takeout box of chicken in his hands. He was regarding the other boy with a soft almost admiring look on his face. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come for me."
Sean's complexion flushed pink as soon as he heard the blonde's words of thanks, bringing his freckles full onto his face. He wrinkled his nose, sniffed and said:
"We saved each other. You, me, Hank… We wouldn't have made it out of there alive if we weren't with each other." He looked up as he said this, green eyes meeting blue. What he wasn't saying was:
'And I'd do it again if it meant that no one could hurt you.' Sean silently wondered what Alex would think of him if he knew how Sean felt. That he was scared shitless that day, when he'd gone underwater… Then when he was in the air, it was Alex he wanted to find immediately. Worse was that neither knew how the other felt. The only person aware was currently in Hank's laboratory, unable to stifle a laugh that just ripped out of him.
"Charles? Are you alright?" Hank asked as soon as the Professor had stopped giggling. He eyed his friend with a curious expression – as though Charles had gone mad, with one eyebrow raised.
"Pffhahahhah! Ohh…" he sniggered some more. "Sorry, my friend… It would seem that we are in the presence of a blossoming love." He smiled wider and pointed up.
In spite of himself, Charles smiled. He hadn't meant to read either boy's thoughts, but they were screaming quite loudly in their heads, loud enough for any telepath to hear. Hank merely shook his head and continued working on the calculations for the new Cerebro that they would be building.
"Alex and Sean. Hh, I-I suppose they seem compatible." Hank said, not with a biting edge. "You realize if they have a lover's quarrel we might end up replacing the entire wing."
"Oh Hank, don't be so serious… It's young love! It's really groovy, imagine it… Alex Summers, all shy and flustered around little Sean Cassidy." Charles Xavier giggled again… But underneath all that… He thought of the one who made all his bravado leave him. He was gone now, and so was the girl he called his sister… And how he missed them both… He only wished they would come back… He shook his head, smiled sadly and wondered if he should give Havok and Banshee a little nudge… in the right direction, because they weren't exactly doing well at all for each other up there.
Alex didn't exactly like his food cold, but what was there to do, really. He just leaned against the counter instead, next to Sean, and chowed down. Judging by the taste, it hadn't gone bad yet, but whatever, food was food. Sean was being oddly quiet though, just shoveling more food into his maw and not really saying much, though one would note that the younger male's skin was flushed pink, blushing with the color.
"Hey…" Alex says, and it's close - barely a whisper that Sean hears – and when he looks up, Alex's face is mere inches from his own, close enough to touch. The sunlight filtering through the window hits his face, making his hair shine gold and illuminating one of his eyes to the point that it's blue as the sky outside. "You're so quiet, Sean… S'not like you… Are you feeling okay?"
Alex put a hand on each side of Sean's cheeks and turned his face so that he was nearly nose to nose with the blonde. The heat radiating from his skin wouldn't escape Alex's notice. After all, he metabolizes solar energy, warmth is his thing… And his hands are so warm… So very, very warm…
Sean was warm to the touch… Which was saying something because Alex often had a temperature much higher due to his metabolizing solar energy. A comforting warmth, perfect to his touch and all Alex could do was stare into Sean's eyes – a glowing, pallid green in the sunshine, a stark contrast to his hair, which looked so utterly red in the noon sun.
"Alex…" Sean breathed… He smelled fruity, the lingering taste of the oranges on his breath. "Alex…"
The second time Sean said it sounded almost like a plea. A plea for a lot of things, keep safe… Don't ever make me worry like that again. Images flooded Alex's mind about the things Sean had been thinking about him. How he'd shot out of the water like a bat out of a watery hell in a panic, looking for Alex because he'd seen them falling. Struggling to keep his altitude high enough just so the two of them made it to the beach and his fury at Angel for spitting acid and trying to kill Alex. He would rupture her eardrums first chance he got.
Alex pressed his forehead against Sean's, breathing heavily as the images came to this point – Sean waiting here for Alex, for a chance to talk. A chance…
"Sean…" Alex breathed, pleading. Let me show you how I feel.
Sean's eyes screwed shut, as the images came forth. Worrying about Sean when they got attacked at the CIA facility, wanting nothing more than to get him out of there afterwards. Following each time they wanted to test if he could fly, because he didn't want Sean falling to his death or anything. Even laughing when Sean fell for the first time – resisting jumping down there himself and checking if Banshee was okay.
"Alex… You… I…" Sean Cassidy stood there at a loss for words. He just couldn't believe what he'd seen in his head. He should be mad. He knew Professor X had gone into their minds and showed them both the truth about how they felt.
"You…" Alex began… "One second."
'Professor, please get out of our heads. Now.' Alex thought, hard, and forceful.
In Hank's lab, Charles Xavier took his fingers away from his temple with a coy smile on his face. He couldn't bear to "hear" the two boys pine for each other and not do anything about it. They had something special blossoming inside of them. He moved his wheelchair to the window, looking out at the estate and the giant satellite that he'd once asked Erik to move – that Erik had once pushed Sean off of with all of the boys watching.
'Oh Erik… Come back…' Charles thought, sending the thought as far as he could, in the blind hope that maybe Erik would hear. A single tear rolled down his face and fell. He missed Erik and Raven more than anyone could ever understand. But he needed to be strong…
"Charles?" Hank spoke. "Are you alright?" The worry in the younger mutant's voice palpable. "You shouldn't have done that… They would've figured it out eventually."
"I know, Hank. But I wanted to give them the chance Erik and I never had." He said, still smiling sadly.
"I'm sorry, Charles…" Hank said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"At least they'll have a chance, Hank. And it's the least I could do for them." With that, Charles Xavier went back to working on the only means they would have to save mutantkind from the hate that the humans would inflict on them.
Alex Summers had never thought there was someone in this world who would feel the same way about him; Sean Cassidy never wanted to lose anyone ever again – especially not the one person on this Earth that he honestly cared for.
"Alex…?" Sean asked, his forehead still pressed against Alex's – still sitting on the counter. "Can I kiss you?"
"After seeing everything in my head, you think you should still be asking permission?" Alex replied, smiling broadly and putting his lips to Sean's – a first kiss. Slow and tender, barely a brush of the lips.
Sean hummed a little - like a sirensong - and pulled Alex closer using his legs and his arms; pressing his lips to Alex's and plying them open, letting Alex in and letting Sean explore what the tall blonde tasted like – a second, searing kiss that was a promise of so much more. Summer. Sunshine and songs.
A/N: There, it's over. If you've made it this far, maybe you liked the story enough? I'm not sure... But please do feel free to review this :)