AN: The X-Men are the property and ingenious creation of the renowned author and comic-book legend, Stan Lee. Publishing rights belong to Marvel Comics (USA), Marvel Entertainment (USA), and Disney (USA). The song used in this story is the creation and property of its creator/writer, Adam Young (a.k.a Owl City). I hold no ownership rights to this title whatsoever, and I never will, nor do I hold ownership rights to the songs used in this story. I am simply writing this story as a leisurely past time, and because I am a humble fan of this title simply telling a story.

December Twilight.

Song: "Vanilla Twilight" by Owl City.

Quiet and cold.

It was nothing new to Sooraya now, not since she had moved to the United States and enrolled in the Xavier Institute. Granted, it took some adjusting to, having lived most of her life in the arid climate of Western Afghanistan. Snow in particular was a new, enchanting sight to her when the first winter rolled around. Now, as it fell softly outside the windows of the Institute on Utopia, floating ever so slowly to the earth below, thanks to Storm's gracious belief that they all should have a "white Christmas" this year after all they had been through, it was all too commonplace. Even the chill in the air was something she had all but regarded as meaningless, having known some frigid winters in the time she had spent in Westchester when the original Institute still stood. The night air did not phase her in the least, warm and content beneath her black abaya, the niqab shielding her face from the occasional gust of wind that would drift gently by. It was just another winter's night on the island paradise that she and the rest of Earth's mutants called home, another evening closer to Christmas.

And yet, this night, Sooraya found it practically impossible to go to sleep.

It wasn't that she'd had a rough day or anything, far from it. The day had been a pleasant one, filled with fun, friends, and a peaceful calm that the residents of Utopia hadn't see in a long time. However, try as she might, Sooraya just couldn't find that peace of mind that would allow her to drift off into the restful arms of slumber. So, it came to be that, unable to simply lie in her bed, gazing at the ceiling in the darkness, she rose, dressed herself in her traditional garb, and set out for a bit of a walk around the island, hoping that the cool night air would help clear her head and bring about the relief she longed for this evening.

As she strode through the snowy night, Dust's mind wandered to the events of the past year, marveling at the enormity of all they had gone through… And paying her silent respects to those they had lost as well, praying that Allah would guide their souls to his loving embrace. They had all been through so much, even in these past months. The fight for Utopia's sovereignty, the battle with Xarus and his vampire armies, the invasion by the future Sentinels, and even the attack on the island by Eli Bard and his transmode-infected undead. However, that last battle was the one that weighted on her soul the heaviest. Not only had she been forced to fight Kevin Ford, who had been her friend when the Hellions were still together, but also many of her fallen allies, mentors, and friends. However, in the wake of the onslaught, something had come to her attention that she was unaware of at the time.

According to reports from all of the X-Men, not one of them had encountered a reanimated Icarus, as though Eli and Selene had not sought out the corpse of Jay Guthrie in their perverted endeavors to mock the living and destroy the X-Men.

This, in conjunction with statements and public appearances by a resurrected Alpha Flight in Canada following the defeat of the Chaos King, comprised of formerly deceased members, had begun to place questions in her head, wonderings and hopes for things that she knew were all but impossible to come true. If they had returned from the dead as full of life and vigor as when they were alive, then maybe, just maybe… But, why was she thinking these things, and about him for that matter? She knew the answer, she couldn't deny that she knew, not to herself, not to her friends, not to her mentors, and certainly not to Allah. She had known Jay in life, fought beside him, walked with him, flown with him, sat beside and spoke with him as friends often do. In the time they had spent together, somehow, some way, she had… Fallen in love with him.

'And all too soon, he was lost to us all,' she thought mournfully, a small tear running down her cheek at the memory of his passing. Even know, she could feel his spirit with her, hear his voice in her mind, and the words his mother had told her in their mourning of his loss still shook her to the core. 'How? How could he say that I am beautiful, if he has never seen me?' She reached up to brush the sides of her niqab absentmindedly with her fingertips, knowing full well what hid her from his eyes, confused how he could say such a thing of her if she always worn this raiment. 'If only I could…?'

Just then, something caught her ear that made her stop suddenly on the snow-covered path, the crunching beneath her feet ceasing as this new sound took its place. There was a piano, that was for sure, the strains of some soft and soulful melody wafting gracefully through the air. But who in their right minds would be playing music out here in the cold? It was then that a voice joined in with the instrument, a voice that was strong and confident, yet gentle and kind, one that spoke volumes without even seeming to try, as though the words came flowing straight from his heart. Immediately, Sooraya recognized this voice, and her eyes grew wide and her body tensed. It couldn't be, and yet…

'The stars lean down to kiss you,

And I lie awake and miss you

Pour me a heavy dose of atmosphere…'

The world around her came to a halt immediately, the snow's slow descent all but ceasing to leave the small flakes of white hanging in the air as Sooraya could only stand there stock still in abash at the impossibility of what was happening, her heart in her throat and a warm swelling of hope rising in her chest. Her hand clenched itself tightly against her chest as she felt herself slowly start forward, drawn to the music.

'Cause I'll doze off safe and soundly,

But I'll miss your arms around me

I'd send a postcard to you, dear,

'Cause I wish you were here.'

Her pace quickened a bit, the crunching beneath her feet resounding through the cold night with the music as she followed its sonorous beauty. Each step brought her closer and closer to its source, and each step gave it more volume. She could still feel the emotion in each verse, in each word as he sang into the night.

'I'll watch the night turn light-blue,

But it's not the same without you,

Because it's takes two to whisper quietly…'

She was closer now, his voice getting louder and louder as the piano's notes grew sharper and sharper to her ears. As she had pressed onward, other instruments seemed to have joined in, but, they were unimportant to her. All that mattered to Sooraya was the voice that carried through the winter eve with them, the voice of someone she had longed to see once more with all her heart, the one she prayed to return to them, to her.

'The silence isn't so bad

'Til I look at my hands and feel sad,

'Cause the spaces between my fingers

Are right where yours fit perfectly.'

Was it any wonder that her fingers began to ache at that last verse? That her ears had begun to feel hot only a few short bars earlier?

'I'll find repose in new ways,

Though I haven't slept in two days,

'Cause cold nostalgia

Chills me to the bone.'

The snow continued to fall as the moon decided to peek out from behind the clouds, adding a light brighter than those of the lamps that lined the avenues of the park near her apartment to guide her path. She was closing in on him. She redoubled her efforts, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach and her heart hammering away in her chest as she drew nearer.

'But drenched in vanilla twilight,

I'll sit on the front porch all night

Waist deep in thought because,

When I think of you, I don't feel so alone…

She skidded to stop at that, mere feet away from the source of the singing and the music. If this really was him, then were these words he was singing really the truth? Did he really, truly feel all of these things of which he sang with such conviction, with such courage, with such strength?

'I don't feel so alone, I don't feel so alone…'

Each verse resonated deep within Sooraya, struck a chord with her, and came into perfect sync with how she felt about him, how she still felt. Her emotions towards him were so strong now, and they frightened her. She found herself frozen in place, unable to stop herself from shaking. What if she turned the corner and it turned out to be nothing? Just a trick of her mind out of guilt and sorrow for losing someone that she cared so much about? Allah preserve her, she couldn't bear it if it were!

'As many times as I blink,

I'll think of you tonight,'

Something within her spurred her to be strong, to be brave, to be firm in her beliefs that his really was him. In that moment of profound courage, Sooraya swallowed her fears, told her doubts to get behind her, and sharply turned the corner.

'I'll think of you tonight…'

What she saw nearly took her breath away.

It was a balcony-like fixture that jutted out over the ocean water, which lay stretched out unto infinity this night with a surface as calm and as placid as the lake they had both sat beside back at the Institute, snow falling over the moonlight scene to alight gingerly upon the cobblestone pavement. There, in the center of the crescent-shaped patio was a large Grand Piano, glistening black in the dim light. And there, sitting on the bench, his fingers flying gracefully over its ivory keys with the skill of a master, sat a young man of her age dressed in a nice black suit, his hair as red as flame, eyes as blue as the sea.

And from his shoulder-blades, a pair of angelic, feathered wings spread out behind him, as crimson as the dawn.

'When [hazel] eyes get brighter,

And heavy wings grow lighter,

I'll taste the sky and feel alive again!'

Sooraya abandoned all doubt and ran to him unhindered, joyful tears streaming from her eyes.

'And I'll forget the world that I knew,

But I swear I won't forget you,

Oh, if my voice could reach

Back through the past,

I'd whisper in your ear…

Oh darling, I wish you were here!'

"Oof!" Jay exclaimed suddenly, his fingers skipping on the piano keys as the wind was knocked out of him.

His song was interrupted abruptly as Sooraya slammed into him, eschewing the taboo for once to wrap him in a tight embrace of black cloth and tan skin, sobbing happily into his shoulder as her salty tears stained her naqib. She stiffened only for a moment as he returned her gesture, strong arms finding their place around her waist as he held her tightly to his chest, his wings opening wide for a moment before curling in to shield her from the cold of the winter night.

"Jay," she managed to say lovingly through her sobs, nuzzling securely into the nape of his neck as her tears stung her eyes. The rough calluses on his hands, the earthy scent on his skin, the soft down-like feel of his hair as it brushed the exposed part of her face. This wasn't a dream. It was real! He was real! And he was home. "You're really-"

"Yeah, Sooraya, I really am," He said with a thoughtful smile, chuckling slightly, hardly able to believe it himself. How he had missed this, being near to her, hearing her voice, feeling her presence. "It's great to be back. Merry Christmas, angel."

They held onto each other for the rest of the evening, warm in one another's loving embrace.

Clothed in vanilla twilight.

END.

AN: (Sigh) If only this could happen in canon-proper, huh? I really love this two together, they just kinda fit to me, you know? It'd be awesome if Marvel saw fit to bring Jay back to life after the Chaos War after all, have him travel to Utopia, find Sooraya again, and tell her how he really felt about her. I really miss their interaction, and how Marvel would actually pay attention to both their characters. Nowadays, it seems like they've all but forgotten about Dust and Icarus. It's so sad, especially considering how intriguing their relationship was, and how it had so much potential.

Again, gentle, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated, while any signs of flames, trolling, and other such forms of spiteful ill portent will be dealt with accordingly. Thank you once more for taking the time to read this, and I hope you enjoyed it. I hope everyone is doing well out there, and that their own talents as writers continue to flourish and grow. Until next time, True Believers, stay safe out there, stay awesome, keep up the amazing work, and have a very Merry Christmas!

EXCELSIOR!