Disclaimer: Cable, Dom, and other characters mentioned here in are not mine. They're Marvels, and I'm not making any money off this, trust me.

Author's Notes: While technically, this is a TTaT-universe story, it's set entirely in the context of Marvel canon, set directly after the events of Cable 21, and before issue 22. It's really just an exercise in wanton fangirlism. Rather PG for mild sexual content.

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by Timesprite

"Nate?" Domino stuck her head in the doorway of the computer room. "There you are. Having any luck?" He'd vanished shortly after their return to Xavier's, under the pretense of seeing if there was anything there that wasn't in Blaquesmith's database.

He sighed. "There's nothing in here that matches these partial images Blaquesmith pulled together."

"Well," she replied, taking the seat next to him, "Maybe he'll be able to clear them up a bit more."

"Maybe. Is everyone settled in?" He asked, ending the futile computer search.

"Jean got them mostly situated. I think they're a little offended at being segregated to their own wing, though."

"Well, we *did* crash the place," Nate replied wryly.

Dom laughed. "Yeah. They'll get over it." A long, uncomfortable silence followed. "Look, Nate... we should talk," she said at last.

"I shouldn't have done what I did," he replied, not meeting her eyes.

"Don't say that. Don't..." She ran a hand back through her hair. "We did think the world was ending."

"It didn't," he pointed out.

"So I noticed," she responded dryly. "Did you mean it?"

"What I said? Oath, of course I did." He was still carefully avoiding her gaze. He didn't think he'd be able to get through the conversation if he looked at her.

"How..." Her voice faltered slightly and she cursed inwardly. This conversation had been her idea after all. Getting nervous now wasn't going to do either of them any good. She cleared her throat and started over. "How long has this been... an issue?"

He glanced at her, feeling shamefully relieved that she looked as apprehensive as he felt. "A few months."

"A few... you could have said something, you big dork."

"How could I, after what I did?"

"Nathan, look at me. I--I am willing to accept that you honestly didn't know. I admit I was pretty upset for awhile, but Vanessa took a year of my life! And she lived it better than I ever could have. ...so I've been trying to keep my distance, because I thought that's what you needed." She reached across the gap between them, touching the side of his face lightly. "Is it?"

His eyes met hers finally. "I need you, Dom. That's all." He took hold of her hand and drew her across the space between them.

She settled onto his lap, free hand resting on his shoulder, the other still clasped in his hand. A flock of butterflies sprang to life in her stomach as she looked at him. This was stupid--it wasn't as if they'd never done this before. Was she just that out of practice, or was it that this time, there was a potential for it to turn into so much more?
Nate's hand rested at the small of her back, pulling her in closer. She closed her eyes as his lips brushed hers, a shiver running down her spine. She leaned into it as the kiss deepened, tender, cautious, everything the kiss in Negev hadn't been. It was enough to make her forget the chaos in their lives, if only for an instant. They parted reluctantly, eyes locked on one another.

"See, that wasn't so scary, was it?" She said when she thought she could trust her voice again. It still wavered slightly, and she broke eye contact, suddenly worried that she was getting carried away.

"Not so scary," he agreed, turning her face back toward him gently. "Dom, I don't know what I can promise you, if we do this..."

"It doesn't matter," she replied, and brushed her lips across his again, old desires flaring back to life. She heard him bite back a groan as she shifted her weight. "Sorry," she grinned.

"Dom..."

The expression on his face only made her grin more. Standing, she tugged him to his feet. "C'mon. They gave me a nice room."

"That's good," he joked weakly, "since I don't know where mine is."

They tried to look as nonchalant as possible as the left the sub-basement and headed for the wing of rooms that had become X-Force's new temporary home. Domino breathed a sigh of relief as she shut the door to her room behind them and locked it, just in case. "Made it."

"Barely," he grinned, pulling her close.

She smirked and pressed herself against him a little more firmly, delighting in the reaction she evoked. Stepping back, she pulled the borrowed 'Xavier Institute' sweatshirt over her head and let it drop to the floor--they'd lost most everything when Murderworld had exploded, and there hadn't been time to replace it all.
Nathan pulled her back, hands sliding down her bare back. "Still beautiful," he murmured in her ear, and she blushed despite herself. They retreated to the bed, clothes shed hastily, until he was poised over her, Dom's dark hair framing her face against the equally pale pillowcase.

"You're sure you want to do this?"

"Hell of a time to be asking," she replied. "I'm sure. Are you?"

In lieu of a response, she felt him reach out with his telepathy and touch her mind, unobtrusively, but enough to show her exactly what he was feeling. #I'm sure,# he added needlessly.

She had to look away then, trying to swallow past the sudden lump in her throat. The feeling quickly dissipated, though, as he kissed her, mouth trailing along her jaw and neck, then slipping lower, hands busy elsewhere. Any lingering trepidation she felt was washed away by a tide of old, familiar desire. She clung to his shoulders, focusing on that point where his mind still touched hers, warmth and longing intertwining with the pleasure he was bringing to her body. She drew him back up finally, the two of them teetering on the brink, and drew him in, cries escaping them both as they joined.

----

Cable blinked blearily, turning away from sunlight that streamed in through unfamiliar blinds. He rubbed at his eyes and turned over, greeted by the sight of his partner curled up beside him, still fast asleep. He reached out, touching the raven cascade of her hair lightly with his fingertips, smiling to himself. This was the way it was meant to be he decided, and started, guilty, as she opened her eyes and caught him watching.

"Morning," she said, a small smile flitting across her face. "You stayed."

"Of course I did," he replied, brushing hair back from her face.

"I wasn't sure."

His expression softened and he reached out, drawing her into his arms. "I wouldn't leave," he said gruffly, hugging her tightly. "Not you."

She said nothing for a long moment, preferring to bask in the all-encompassing feeling of safety she found in his arms. "Nate?" She ventured finally.

"Hmm?"

"I'm glad the world didn't end after all."

A sharp bark of laughter escaped him. "So am I."

End