Author's Note: For Carlin who requested Illyana/Jeb with the prompt thunderstorm. Short vignette set at Xavier's School. Based on characterizations from the Marvel United RPG over at IJ, although the only real difference from the comics in this is that the kids are the same age and classmates here. Um, yeah. Unbeta'd, I'm afraid, so do let me know if there are glaring errors of any kind. Thanks for reading!
Disclaimer: Characters mentioned are used without permission and are trademarks of Marvel Characters, Inc. I do not own them and am simply borrowing for my purposes. Please don't sue.
on a stormy afternoon
by Bether
Illyana was studying with (READ: copying from) Jeb when she heard the first rumblings of a thunderstorm. She knew they were due for one but it was just the distraction she'd been hoping for from the tedium that was homework. (Seriously, even when someone else was doing most of it, it was still boring—what was up with that?)
Pushing her book aside, she moved to the window and opened the curtains. No lightning was visible yet. Behind her, she could sense Jeb casting a curious look her way. (Well, that and she could see his reflection in the darkened window.)
"You know," she said casually, studying the sky, "there's an ancient Russian folk belief that thunder comes from the Prophet Elijah's chariot as it crosses the sky. Supposedly he flings down lightning bolts to remind us of the Last Judgment." She wrinkled her nose as she turned to face Jeb. "So dumb. I mean, how would they explain Storm's powers?"
Jeb looked torn between agreeing with her (always the right answer) and asserting a different opinion (never the right answer). "Well, I mean… everyone's got their beliefs, right?"
That was diplomatic enough not to count as a full disagreement, so Illyana shrugged. "I guess—even if those beliefs are wrong." Because, seriously, Storm. Also, some of the demons thought she was a goddess of sorts but did that make it so? Of course not. (Not that she minded their confusion; made them easier to wrangle into doing her bidding.)
The first flash of lightning struck down, momentarily distracting them both. It was only when the sky grew dark again that a thought occurred to her. "Hey, Jeb…" she looked at him in that appraising way no one ever really liked to see from her, "what happens when you're struck with lightning?"
"What?" He looked confused and a little wary.
Illyana smiled in what she thought was probably a disarming way. (Maybe. If it wasn't evil. She did evil a lot easier than disarming.) "Well, I mean, your powers involve electricity, right? And lightning's like a burst of electricity." Er, at least she thought that was it. Something like that, anyway. It probably wasn't too important.
Now Jeb looked downright worried. "Um…"
But Illyana was already moving. She grabbed his hand and tugged him into a standing position. "Come on, let's go get wet." He didn't object outright but dug his heels in a little, so she looked at him through her lashes in a way she'd seen Emma do before. "Come on, just a little run in the rain. It'll be fun!" She did not blush when she added, "And then afterward you can warm me back up." Really. Because she wasn't the sort of person who blushed—ever. So that seriously wasn't happening here.
Jeb was still wearing a stubbornly reluctant expression on his face, but he let himself be pulled along all the same. Personally Illyana thought it'd be brilliant; he'd probably be super powerful! (Or maybe get burned but, hey, they had a few doctors hanging around in case that happened and she could teleport him to them lickety split, so no worries.)
And the part after when they got dry and warm again, that probably wouldn't suck, either. (Assuming Jeb didn't have the aforementioned possible bad reaction to playing with lightning.) It didn't occur to Illyana until after they were already soaked that her shirt was light and her bra not so much but, at that point, there was nothing to be done for it. So she just laughed and pretended that'd been part of the plan all along.