Disclaimer: The only character I own is my own creation.
A/N: In this story, Jean and Scott feel more like brother and sister than romantically towards one another. Story starts during the episode "Mainstream."
Chapter One: Encounters and New Friends
Ever since he moved to Bayville, New York at the beginning of his freshman year, from Dallas, Texas, Nodachi Culver has kept to the shadows of Bayville High School. He watched as Jean Grey and Scott Summers joined the school from Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. He was immediately entranced by Jean's beauty, both inner and outer. He hated that she was somewhat blind to how her boyfriend, the star quarterback for the Bayville Hawks football team, Duncan Matthews, treated other people. During a school pep-rally for the football team, she accidentally bumped into him.
"I'm so sorry," she said, turning around.
He froze for a second and started backing away slowly, eyes wide. She reached a hand out to him, causing him to flinch and run down the hallways and around a corner.
"Wait!…I just wanted to say sorry…" she said, trailing at the end.
He looked back around the corner to see her looking in his direction confused and a little hurt. He turned back around and sighed as he leaned against the locker.
"Are you okay?" a kind voice asked.
He whipped around to see Jean looking at him softly. He blushed and looked to the ground, shuffling his feet. He felt a hand on his shoulder, causing him to quickly back away. She pulled her hand back and held them to her chest. Her beautiful green eyes were confused and starting to tear up. He shook his head, eyes slowly going from wide to normal. He slowly raised a quivering hand to her left cheek and brushed a tear away. She opened her mouth to say something, but he put a finger to her pouty lips and shook his head. He pulled a small notepad and pen out and wrote something down, before handing it to her and hurrying off. A few days later, he walked into Bayville High to see her waiting for someone.
Probably her boyfriend, he thought, snarling mentally.
He was shocked when she walked up to him, her eyes hopeful.
"Good morning, Nodachi," she said sincerely, her voice happy.
He nodded to her, his eyes confused.
"Thank you for the compliments," she said, blushing slightly.
He blushed and ducked his head again. She placed a hand softly on his shoulder, causing him to flinch slightly.
"I'd like to be your friend, Nodachi, if you'll let me…" she said, her voice hopeful.
He whipped his head to her, his eyes wide with shock and a little hope.
"Jean?" a kind voice asked.
Nodachi stilled. Before he could take off, Jean put a hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay, Nodachi. That's Scott. He's like a brother to me. I talked to him about you. He won't hurt you. Neither will I. I promise," she said softly.
He looked into her eyes to see only honesty and friendliness in her green eyes. He nodded and stood next to her as she turned to the owner of the voice. Scott jogged up and stood next to Jean, on her other side. His eyes were concealed behind red sunglasses. They were to cover up an eye condition.
"Hi Nodachi. I'm Scott. Jean told me about you. I'd like to be your friend, if you want," he asked sincerely.
Nodachi smiled brightly and nodded. Over the course of the year, Scott and Jean learned about their new friend a little more each day. And he learned about them. But, he still stuck to the shadows, except when he was around his only two friends in Bayville High. After the summer after freshman year, things started to get a little crazier. It all started one night at a home football game…
Nodachi stood in the shadows of the bleachers as the Hawks were decimating the visiting team 49 to 17, after Duncan scored a touchdown on his own. He saw Duncan and two other players go behind the other side of the bleachers. He heard people talking and looked behind the bleachers to see Todd Tolansky being held up by Duncan, while Scott tried to reason with Duncan. After a short fight, Scott was knocked into a beam, knocking his glasses off. Beams of red energy shot out of Scott's eyes, sending Duncan away. Nodachi watched as Jean used telepathy to move an enflamed beam out of the way of Scott's glasses, which she picked up with telepathy. He slowly used the shadows to move close to his only two friends. He wrote a note and placed a hand on Jean's shoulder, shocking her.
"Nodachi? How much did you see?" she asked, scared.
He simply held out the note.
"So that's what 'Gifted' means, huh?" she read aloud, confused.
She looked to him to see him giving her a ear-to-ear grin, eyes closed. She sighed in relief, confusing Scott.
"You don't care that we're mutants, do you?" she asked, shocking Scott.
He wrote another note to her.
"Why would I drive away my only friends? Oh, Nodachi…" she read.
He blushed and ducked his head, shuffling his feet.
"Scott, maybe you should split," Jean suggested.
"Yeah, you're probably right," Scott said, leaving.
Nodachi turned to blend back into the shadows, when Jean laid her hand on his shoulder.
"Could you meet with me tomorrow morning before school? I'd like to introduce you to the Professor," Jean asked.
Nodachi nodded, his eyes cautious. Jean gave him a bright smile and ran off with Scott. The next morning, in front of the Institute, Nodachi appeared from the shadows to stand next to Jean. He laid a hand on her shoulder, scaring her.
"Don't do that!" she gasped.
He gave her a teasing smile that reached his eyes. She sighed in exasperation, shaking her head at his antics.
"Come on. I'll take you to meet the Professor," she said.
She linked her arm with his and semi-dragged him into the Institute. She led him to a room, where a white-haired woman, a bald man in a wheelchair, and a cloaked person were waiting.
"Professor? This is the boy I was telling you about," she said.
"Welcome, Nodachi. I am Charles Xavier. From what I understand, you know and don't mind the existence of Mutants," he said, also asking a question.
He wrote down a note and Jean read it aloud.
"Because I was born mute, I've never really made any friends. After my parents died, I became an orphan. I moved here because I wanted to make a new start. Jean was the first person to reach out to me for no reason, other than to be nice," Jean said, tears forming.
"Well, you won't have to worry about that here," Scott said sincerely.
"Indeed. Whenever you want to come over, even if it's just to meet with anyone, you're more than welcome to stop by anytime," Charles agreed.
Over the next year, Nodachi met new mutants that joined the X-Men, the Brotherhood, and still kept to the shadows. But, one night soccer game would change everything…
A/N: Please read and review. ^^
