Epiphany

 

Chaos Theory

Rolling over in the bed, I felt him. I, alone in my room, felt him. The bed squeaked under me as I tossed, fearing his relentless impatience would take me over. It filled ever nerve in his body taking him up and away in its tide. If I wasn't careful, it would fill mine.

        "Don't," I whispered. He ignored me. 'He always ignores me,' I thought sourly, rolling over again and curling into a ball of warmth under my covers.

        Since I could remember, we felt everything together. We worked in synchronization without a second thought. We assumed that other twins did, too.

I felt him pause, and sit up. He begged me, in the back of my mind, for permission. I sighed, too tired to be angry. I only wanted a full night's sleep, but Pietro the imp always woke me around one, getting ready for his morning run.

"I can't live on an hour and a half of sleep, 'Tro." I moaned for added effect, and he seemed to understand. For a full five minutes, the nagging Puck at the back of my mind piped down and tried his hardest to sleep.

        Then, he came back, nagging me. 'Like a dog wanting to be let out,' I thought. I sat up, turned on the light, and grabbed the book on my bedside - not that I would read.

Morning battles aside, I enjoyed Pietro's morning run a lot more than I let on. I readied myself for the wonderful rush that woke me up more than it did him.

I felt the tap of speed, the breath-taking rush. The adrenaline burned my veins. Shutting my eyes, I felt that I ran somewhere through Westchester… and through in the city… and heading straight up to Maine. 'Pietro always enjoys Maine in the summer,' I reflected.

I laughed, felt his pure joy and knew that only I understood what drove him to his edge, feeling how far he could go before his – our - hearts exploded. He always held back. He was unselfish, and I, glad. He protected me – what his heart could take, mine couldn't. And early in the morning, when we connected most, hearts beating in harmony, somehow I couldn't get enough air in my – our - lungs.

Yet, despite holding back, I felt the tears stream down his cheeks – my cheeks? Through the pain and joy I forgot. It didn't matter as I felt epiphany and flounced down on my bed, sighing in ecstasy. If for only an hour before dawn, I saw the world that my brother yearned for constantly, and understood why he left us all behind.

.End.

Author's Notes: Not bad for a premier fic, eh? I suppose this is what you get when I try to be deep. This is a prelude of something bigger … say, a massive DC/Marvel crossover with the J. L. A. and the Teen Titans! Stay tuned, True Believers, for more info – and, as always, another slice of the Pietro!

Disclaimer: Pietro, Wanda, The X-Men and the Brotherhood are all registered trademarks and/or copyright of Marvel Entertainment and all branches thereof. X-Men: Evolution is created and produced by Marvel Entertainment and Kids' WB. The Justice League of America (J. L. A.) and the Teen Titans are trademarks of DC Comics, and aired by Cartoon Network. Chaos Theory takes no credit for the characters mentioned and I am in no way affiliated with the above companies, nor do I wish to taint and/or plagiarize any of the above-mentioned characters and/or storylines. Thank you for reading my lovely, legal-sounding disclaimer and/or sticking around to see if I say anything funny.