I woke up in the middle of the night to a crash. I sat up and saw Wanda thrashing about, a broken vase on the floor across the room. My eyes were wide. Almost every item in Wanda's room was whizzing around the room. I grabbed Wanda and shook her, but her powers lifted me up and tossed me into the wall. I hissed in pain, but I wasn't badly injured. I got up and dodged a flying book. I saw the door open and Lance and Pietro peeked in.

"Oh, boy…" Lance muttered.

I dodged objects and leaped out the door before the nightstand could hit me on my way out. The boys shut the door and I sighed.

"And we thought she was getting better since you moved in," Pietro mused out loud.

"How often did that use to happen?"

"About once a month. All her stuff will be back to normal by morning, but...it isn't safe for you to stay in there."

I sighed and followed Pietro to our room. Lance waved to us and headed over to his room. I still felt awkward about what had happened earlier that evening. Pietro could tell what was on my mind. As I got into my bed, he closed the door.

"You know, it's not that big of a deal. I don't know why you're freaking out."

I pulled my covers up to my nose and watched him get into his bed.

"What do you mean"it's not that big of a deal"? You don't just kiss someone, it's…it's…"

"You're just whining because it was me, not because you didn't like it. Seriously, Gene, it's not like I've never kissed you before."

"YOU HAVE NOT! Mouth to mouth does not count! You just saved me from drowning."

"That depends completely on how you look at it."

I growled in annoyance and turned to face away from him.

"You should only kiss someone you have strong feelings for."

"And where does Kelvin fit into this?"

I closed my eyes tightly, trying to push away the horrific memories that wanted to come flooding into my mind. Kelvin hadn't gone far, but that didn't keep me from feeling like I'd been violated. I just lay in bed silently, trying to fall asleep so I wouldn't get into a fight with Pietro. I heard him sigh and turn in his bed.

"I'm sorry, Genevieve."

I turned my head a bit.

"I shouldn't have mentioned…that, but you shouldn't feel awkward around me. It's a waste of energy. You're not equating me to him are you?"

I shook my head, but then remembered he couldn't see me.

"No…of course not."

I understood in my mind that what Kelvin did was wrong, but what Pietro did…I felt okay with. It wasn't on the same level at all, but…I wasn't mad at Pietro. And that bothered me. It was all in good fun, I knew that, but…a part of me was still shunning him out and I didn't know why I was feeling conflicted like this. It was okay to let Wanda know how I felt, even if she did give me this smile that made me feel like she understood my feelings better than I did. I know that isn't possible, though. I didn't want to talk to Pietro about it. I knew the last thing he wanted to do was talk about feelings either. Maybe…that hate I'd built up for Pietro was dying…but…had I hated him just because he was obnoxious. Thinking back, he'd only ever taken care of me, saved my life, and, though I hated to admit it, kept a smile on my face by losing some of our battles. Had I ever really hated him?

"Pietro?" I asked.

There was no answer. I waited another minute, listening quietly. I finally heard the sound of his soft breaths, meaning he had fallen asleep. I sighed and rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. I wanted to ask him why he always looked out for me despite how we'd treated each other throughout the years. I couldn't say I'd been a perfect angel. I'd considered that Magneto had asked him to look out for me, but I doubt even he would have asked Pietro to do all he'd ever done for me. All this time…could we have been…friends instead of enemies? It seemed like a convoluted type of friendship to have, but…what if it was a friendship nonetheless. I groaned and got comfortable in bed. I definitely thought way too much at night.

"Alright, Pietro," I whispered," I'll say this only this once…but only because you're asleep. But, you're right. Feeling awkward around you is a waste of time. You're right."

Feeling a bit relieved having said that, I shut my eyes and drifted off into sweet dreams.

In the morning, I woke up to scurrying from the hallway. I sat up and peeked over at Pietro's bed. He wasn't there. I got up and opened the bedroom door. I found everyone in the hallway. Wanda was trying to hit Toad with a curtain rod I could only assume she had picked up to put back above her window after the disaster zone she'd made last night. Toad was hopping all over the hallway, dodging her blows. Fred watched from the top of the stairs, Lance from the bathroom door, and Pietro stood fully dressed right outside our bedroom door. He grinned at me as I stepped into the hall and closed the door.

"What did he do?"

"Toad had set up mistletoe outside Wanda's room and when she opened the door, he was there waiting for her."

I shook my head and went over to the bathroom. I ducked under Lance, who promptly turned and glared at me.

"Hey, I was going in!"

"Ladies first?" I begged, batting my eyelashes at him.

Lance stared at me for a moment before sighing and heading back to his room. I smiled at my triumph and closed the bathroom door. After dressing for the day, I went downstairs to find the place eerily quiet. I found only Pietro in the kitchen making himself some cereal.

"Where did everyone go?" I asked, pulling a bowl out of one of the cupboards.

"Lance went to see Kitty before she went home for Christmas, Fred went back to bed, Toad left the house to escape Wanda's wrath, and Wanda I believe just jumped in the shower."

"Huh."

I sat down at the table after acquiring a spoon and grabbed the cereal box sitting in the middle of it and poured some into my bowl. Pietro brought the milk with him as he sat down. I reached out to grab it, but he pulled it away from me. He smirked as I frowned at him.

"I think I need more…"

"You're going to use it all!"

"Maybe I will."

"Jerk!"

I got up and towered over him.

"Hand over the milk."

He stood up and looked down at me with a smug expression. He held it up over his head.

"Come get it."

"Pietro!" I whined, reaching for the milk.

He laughed at the fact that I could only touch the bottom of the milk carton. I sighed and gave up. I couldn't help but smile at how juvenile we were. I went back to my seat.

"Fine! I'll eat my cereal without milk."

I picked up my spoon and was about to put it in my cereal when the milk carton started floating in front of my face. I looked up at Pietro and took it from him. I watched him as he sat down and began eating. I was never going to understand him or…I stopped thinking right then. Us? There wasn't an "us" when it came to me and Pietro. Right?

"Falling for me?"

I noticed Pietro watching me with his eyebrow raised. I had apparently been staring. I stuck my tongue out at him and poured myself some milk.

"No!"

"Okay, then."

We were silent while we finished our breakfast. Afterwards, Pietro was heading into the hall as I washed the dishes. I stopped him before he left.

"Pietro…what are we?"

He turned and looked at me in confusion.

"What do you mean by that?"

I finished with the dishes and dried my hands.

"Well…I don't…hate you anymore. And we seem to get along and…does that make us friends?"

Pietro came over and leaned against the counter in front of me.

"Did you ever actually hate me?"

I stared at him. It was like he knew I had been asking myself that same question.

"I don't think so…"

"Well, I never hated you. So, I think that we've always been friends…kind of. Strained relationship, I think. Still kind of is, but I think it's more fun this way."

"More fun?"

He grinned and headed back toward the hallway.

"You're quite amusing when you're angry."

I was about to protest when Wanda came sweeping in and grabbed me.

"Christmas shopping!" she declared.

I had no chance to say anything before I was ushered out the door and we were on our way to the mall. Wanda barely let me think about anything other than what gifts to get the guys, but I couldn't help my mind from wandering back to what Pietro had said. He said we were friends. He had said we'd always been friends. I smiled to myself as I let Wanda drag me from store to store. Maybe now sorting out how Pietro fit into my world would be easier now that I could look at him as a friend. A very good friend.