Hi all, this idea has been taking up space in my head for a while so I had to do something about it. I have no idea when i'll update again or how the story will progress. Please review and give me feedback! :)
Blowing his hair so it would stop falling into his face, he briefly noted that he ought to get a haircut but it was immediately filed away in some part of his mind as unimportant. Right now what was tugging for his attention was his 'reintegration into society' as his parole officer had termed it.
Oddly he was going back to the only place that was being accepted by people of his kind and that he was not allowed to step out of the grounds of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. What kind of reintegration was that? John had snorted at his parole officer who had given the youth one of his famous bland smiles.
"Welcome back John," Storm had said crisply as they walked down a hallway, "We had to reassign you a new room, given that your old room is unsuitable."
Dr. McCoy, the blue furry, with a lack of a better word, beast, had continued where Storm had stopped, "The state has, temporarily, placed you in the Institute's care while you fulfil your, ah, probation. As your parole officer would have mentioned, you are to complete your senior year here and there would be a review of your probation at the end of the school year."
He balked at the electronic device that Dr. McCoy had embarrassedly pulled out.
"Unfortunately while the courts accepted moving you to Xavier's, there were a few stipulations that left our hands tied. You will have to wear it at all times so you can be tracked and to minimize the use of your fire manipulation."
The Pyro inside of him bristled at that comment. It was a sore point with Pyro that he needed a fire source to actually do anything.
Storm stepped in once again. "You are to attend classes as per normal, mealtimes are taken in the dining hall and your curfew is ten sharp. Dinner is served between six to seven-thirty until then, you are free to wander around."
The two adults had disappeared after seeing him settled in. There was a box sitting on the study desk and another one on the floor near his cupboard. Closing the door, he hurried scavenged through them. No dice, they had been true to their word and had confiscated all of his lighters.
Biting back a sigh, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. Coming back would have not been his choice. Jail or a juvenile detention centre, he could handle but Xavier's? He wasn't stupid. There had been some looks of fear from some of the students when he had been waiting outside the Professor's old office, listening to Storm, Beast and Wolverine arguing.
Chucking the boxful of clothes into his cupboard and tipping the rest of his belongings into the deep desk drawer, John decided to head down to the library. It was, after all, his second most favourite place in this stupid pile of bricks.
He had tried to lose himself in one of those dusty old books that had sat dourly on a shelf in the cosy corner that had mismatched furniture and an installed window seat at the bay window. It was probably around four, judging by the way the light was in his eyes when he had first attempted to settle on the couch opposite the window.
There had been a frightened kid or two who had scurried around him trying to retrieve a book or whatnot. Apparently his reputation had preceded him that even kids that he had never met were afraid of him. John scowled over it; Pyro was gleeful at that revelation.
He had a nice half an hour to himself when he heard a large burst of noise coming to the corner he had holed himself in. Mentally he steeled himself for anything.
It was one of those days in their relationship. Bobby had to bite back an annoyed sigh as he trudged behind the large chattering group with his sullen girlfriend by his side. For some weird reason or another, Marie had agreed to a study session with some of the other students today which meant Bobby could sit quietly with her for awhile and then fake a headache and leave. Maybe he could even convince Kitty to join him. Straight away his mind shot the idea down, that would be courting trouble.
Rumours had swirled that Bobby and Kitty were secretly seeing each other way before the deaths of the Professor, Dr. Grey and Mr. Summers. Rogue had made it worse when she upped and left to get the cure before returning "back to him".
It was difficult trying to maintain friendships and keep his girlfriend happy. Back when she was untouchable, Marie had been more laidback and a tad more friendly. Now she hung around him possessively and rarely talked with the others, especially after what he now termed The Incident.
He envied the two other students who filled up the rest of the X-Men squad. Kitty had bloomed with the new recruits. Jubilee, Sam Guthrie and Danielle Moonstar had widened her circle and even the shy, almost reclusive Colossus had befriended the only other older mutant, Remy LeBeau.
The group had stopped instead of grabbing their choice seats which puzzled Bobby until he heard a faint gasp from Kitty and then, "John?"
Immediately he had pushed his way through the group, ignoring the annoyed "Hey!" from Jubilee –he'd apologise later. Lo and behold, John was lazily reading a book on the overstuffed armchair that faced them.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, he could feel a slight drop in temperature in the air surrounding him.
John had given a lazy grin, "Reading of course. That is what one would do in a library I would think."
Bobby could see someone inch to the side but he put his hand out to stop that person. "You know what I mean."
John had stood up and placed the book back on the shelf behind him. "The powers that be call it my 'reintegration into society' but I suppose house arrest is a better term. Now excuse me, I feel like a nap before dinner."
He strolled towards them, headed to exit the library. Bobby continued glaring at him when John had stopped at the big group. "Hey Kitten, your hair looks better down."
Angry steps covered the distance before Bobby blocked the petite brunette from John's view. He gestured at the library doors. "Leave Kitty alone."
John had given another irritating smirk before strutting out. Kitty's clique had taken her back into the fold as an annoyed and confused expression spread across her pretty face. Peter and Remy had escorted the group into the recently vacated corner but Marie was still standing with her hands firmly across her chest, looking fairly pissed off.
Oh boy, Bobby thought as Marie jerked her head at Kitty before striding out of the library, her dual-coloured hair flying out behind her. This was Bobby's cue to follow her and try to defuse the bomb that was Marie.