A/N: I want to thank everyone who reviewed, followed, and faved my story in the first chapter. Your support encouraged me to keep going. Hope you all enjoy the next installment. Thanks for reading! :)

Stunned speechless, Raven's cheeks turned beet red with embarrassment in front of Erik. What could she or Charles say to him when their current state left little to the imagination? Nothing intimate happened between them, yet the thought of telling others that they slept in the same bed made her cheeks burn even more. It was too early in the morning to insist they were having a friendly chat. She could say that she wanted to wake Charles up because she was excited about their first day of training, but that felt childish. Out of ideas, the blonde almost breathed a sigh of relief when her adoptive brother spoke up, a stern expression on his face.

"Raven, go have some breakfast. We'll be down shortly to join you."

Following his orders, the shapeshifter said nothing and proceeded to go downstairs. As the two men stared at each other, Erik did his best to resist the urge to laugh.

"I knew you were close, Charles. I just had no idea you were that close."

"Don't be absurd. My sister had a nightmare last night and I comforted her. She fell asleep while I was reading to her."

"And what, you didn't have the heart to wake her?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"Sounds like an excuse to keep her in your bed. Get tired of waiting for Moira?"

"Quit insinuating that my love life is a Greek tragedy. It's not amusing."

"I disagree."

"You know how much that girl means to me. I would do anything to protect her."

"What about when she's older?"

"What about it?"

"Well, you don't expect her to stand by your side forever, do you? Haven't you noticed her with Hank?"

"It's a crush. Raven has them all the time. She likes a boy for a few weeks and then she loses interest."

"You really think that's all it is?"

"Of course. She has me. She doesn't need anyone else."

Erik raised an eyebrow in surprise. "She has you?"

Realizing his poor choice of words, the pacifist intellectual found himself stuttering. "That's—That's not what I meant."

"Who are you trying to convince? Me or yourself?"

"I shouldn't have to convince you of anything. She's a kid."

"She's a woman," his best friend interjected. "The sooner you accept that, the better off you'll be."

"For what?"

"The inevitable."

"I don't follow."

"She adores you, but you're holding her back. If you don't stop trying to control her life, she will eventually resent you for it and you will lose her—probably to someone who recognizes her potential."

"I have been living with Raven for almost 20 years. I think I know her a little better than you do."

"Perhaps I understand her more than you care to admit."

"Raven's parents tried to kill her. Before we met, she had to steal and beg for food. I took her in and gave her a home. She would never leave me."

"What if she did?"

"She wouldn't."

"Hmm," Erik mused, saying nothing else.

He headed for the stairs and Charles followed him down to the kitchen. When they got there, they spotted Raven at the table with Hank. The pair were eating breakfast together, scrambled eggs with toast and bacon. The socially awkward scientist was grinning at the pretty blonde while she laughed over something funny he said to her.

The telepath studied them, trying to tell himself that what he felt wasn't jealousy. It was brotherly concern. The longer he gazed at the would-be couple, though, the harder it was for him to hide the emotions on his face. Or in his heart. This girl was his adoptive sister. She was single and allowed to flirt with men, but those facts didn't ease the foreign pain building in the pit of his stomach. Raven had just come from his bedroom, having slept all night in his bed, and now she was gushing over Hank. It finally dawned on Charles why she asked him about dating if they didn't know each other—if he didn't see her as family. His role in her life had constantly changed over the years from friend to brother to parental figure, yet the lines were getting blurrier the older she got. When Raven entered into her adolescence and boys caught her attention, his protective instincts kicked into high gear and he watched her like a hawk eying his prey. None of them got past first base and she came home with him every night. It was a comfort he never knew he had until this moment. No matter how much he valued Hank's help to the team and considered him a friend, Charles would've given anything for history to repeat itself. But the young scientist wasn't another random guy. He was different. The physical appearance of their mutations—his feet and her scaly, blue skin—gave them a bond, a shared desire to look normal in a world that may never accept them. The pacifist intellectual knew he should be glad that Raven found someone who truly understood what she was going through, but he couldn't. Instead, the conversation from upstairs plagued his mind. If she ever fell in love, he would be replaced, possibly forgotten. He would lose her for good.

Meanwhile, Erik turned his head to observe Charles' reaction to the flirtatious pair and wasn't surprised by what he saw. "Just a crush, huh?"

The first day of training was over and the telepath was exhausted. Everyone had a lot to learn before they faced the Hellfire Club. He had hope for his students, though. He pulled back his covers and slipped into bed, almost not hearing the knock at his door. It was Raven. Hesitant to be around her after the way he responded to her flirting with Hank that morning, he anxiously permitted her to come inside. She did and was dressed in a white nightgown, eager to talk.

"I'm sorry it's so late, but I need to ask you a question. Why were you looking at me funny during breakfast?"

"I wasn't looking at you funny."

"Charles, I know you. Was it something Erik said after I went downstairs?"

"It wasn't anything he said."

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Of course not."

"Then what was it?"

Afraid of where their discussion was headed, the pacifist intellectual couldn't make a reply. His silence felt wrong. If their positions were reversed, Charles would've demanded answers, yet the truth was too complicated for him to explain. Her persistence, however, was unyielding. He watched the blonde climb onto his bed, lay down beside him, and use her elbow to prop herself up.

"You were jealous of Hank flirting with me, weren't you?"

"I was a little concerned."

"Why? He's a nice guy."

"There's no such thing as nice guys."

"Like I haven't heard that a million times."

"You're attracted to Hank and he's attracted to you."

"Weird how that works," Raven joked until she saw a flicker of sadness in his eyes. "Does it upset you?"

"No, but I'm confused. We don't exactly have a 'conventional' sibling relationship—"

Charles stopped mid-sentence when he noticed her lift one leg. Smiling at him, she softly grazed her inner thigh against his manhood and the jerk from his erection caused him to gasp.

"What about now?"

A/N: Is this a dream or reality? Please review!