So, the first bit of this is very... idk, fluffy? Emotional? Feelingy? It's kind of weird but I figure it has to be done. I'm not sure that I exactly like it. Forgiveth me. I am writing this on 2 hours of sleep, a lot of medicine (that isn't even working. Doctors are stupid) and also I think I have caught the death. Or at least death would be less painful. Being sick sucks. I apologize in advance for this. I may or may not end up re-writing this chapter when I'm feeling better. I just have nothing better to do and I feel like writing.
The kiss lasted for only a little while, but it was the warmest feeling Lettie had ever felt. The way Alex tenderly held her face to his, the way he pressed his forehead to hers after they broke apart, whispering, "I hope that was okay. I probably should have asked you. I'm sor-" before she cut him off by placing her lips back up against his. This time it was her that whispered when they broke apart, "You talk too much." She laughed as she scooted back down to place her head on his chest, the two of them falling into a natural position.
"So, what now?" Alex asked as he rubbed her back in slow circles, occasionally bringing his hand up to play with Lettie's curly hair.
"What do you mean, now what?"
"I mean where do we go from here? I'm new at this, remember? I didn't even want this to happen." Alex informed her. Lettie pulled back before he jumped to correct himself. "No, that came out wrong. I wanted to kiss you. I wanted to kiss you for a week or so now. But I didn't expect myself to come here and find you. I guess it's not that I didn't want this, it's that I didn't know that I wanted this. Or I didn't know that I needed this."
"I get it. I definitely didn't expect this either. I'm here to focus on my powers and to help the mutants win this fight, not to meet hunky, blond guys." Lettie laughed as she nudged Alex when she mentioned the hunky, blond guy. "I'm not complaining but I definitely didn't come here just for this."
"So what now?" Alex repeated.
"Well, I mean... what do you want? I don't know what kind of answer you're expecting. Nothing has to change, ya know?" Lettie spoke softly. "It's all up to you. Whatever you want."
"I'm not good with feelings, Lettie. I've never dealt with this before. I haven't had proper human interaction in years. Even in prison, I stayed in isolation for a reason. It's easier. I don't know what this makes us."
"This makes us two people that have kissed. That's it. Unless you want it to mean more. That's the great thing about being humans. We get to make ourselves what we want. We get to decide where to go from here."
"I have feelings for you, Lettie. I don't want you to be nothing to me. But the thing is, all that you've said is that it's about what I want. What about what you want? You're part of this too, ya know? It matters."
"I don't know what I want. I didn't think I'd have to deal with this so I didn't come with a game plan or with a speech prepared. I don't know. Maybe it would be best if we just let what's going to happen, happen. I have feelings for you too, Alex. It's crazy, it's unexpected. I hate myself for letting this happen. I feel like this is the wrong time and place. But what other time and place could there be?"
"Let's just... let's just go to sleep. It was a long day." Alex spoke softly, kissing Lettie once more on the forehead as she nodded her agreement. Lettie closed her eyes, but she knew sleep wouldn't come anytime soon. Her mind was going a million places at once.
What was she doing? She had asked herself this a million times. What was she doing letting this blond haired, blue eyed, silent, angsty stranger get so close? What was she doing laying on this stranger? What was she doing flirting with this guy? What was she doing having feelings for this guy? What was she doing? The question had plagued her over and over and over. Lettie didn't know the answer, but for once she was okay with that. Sure now wasn't the best time for this, what with the impending war and the fact that they needed to focus on their powers, but I guess it's true that hard times pull out the best in people. Lettie wasn't the one to normally get goo-goo eyed over guys. She wasn't one to get butterflies in her stomach. She wasn't one to crave someone's touch. But here she was, goo-goo eyed, stomach full of butterflies as she realized that Alex liked her, he actually liked her, and she was certain that she could never get enough of the feelings that she got when he wrapped his arms around her. She would always want the feeling of him running his large, calloused hands over her arm and waist, making shapes on her back, petting her hair. She wouldn't want that to stop.
Lust. Is that what this is? She had only known this kid for such a short time. Everything had just moved so fast. But I guess that's what happens when you put a few people together, living in the same house (although a large house) with only each other for company; people that were sympathetic to the struggles of being different (although each of them had had different struggles). Bonds and relationships grew faster than normal. It wasn't even just with Alex, Lettie realized. Moira and Charles were like parents. Always having a smile full of confidence for them, always ready to give off words of inspiration. Erik was like the grumpy uncle, friendly and someone you inadvertently found yourself trusting but still grumpy and distant. Sean was that annoying brother that you loved and would lay down your life for. Raven was the best friend and sister that was so girly and so energetic and always smiling and sarcastic, entirely too bubbly, but still perfect in her own way. Even Hank, sweet Hank who was too smart for his own good and to use too being pushed off into the corner because he was the nerdy kid who graduated from freakin' Harvard at 15. He was the red-headed stepchild. He was loved, but he was so different. Lettie knew that she would do anything for any of these people. And that scared her more than anything. All her life it had been her, her mom and her dad. Then it was just her and her mom. No one else to care for or care about, unless you counted the odd fish every now and then. But everything had changed now.
And Lettie didn't regret anything. Not her decision to trust the two strangers that showed up in the book store, not the decision to leave her mom behind, or when she decided, although she didn't know exactly when she had made the decision, that these were good people and she wanted them in her life.
Exhausted from the mental epiphany and the activities of the day, Lettie cuddled in closer to Alex, who was already giving off the deep breaths of sleep. Still, even in his sleep, he pulled her closer into his warm body. And with a smile on her face, Lettie joined him in sleep.
Her peaceful, smile-filled sleep didn't last long. Only a few short hours after sleep overtook her, Lettie was woken to Alex jerking violently and grunting in his sleep. Lettie's first thought was that he was having a seizure, until she realized it was simply a nightmare. Unsure if she should wake him or let him ride it out, Lettie pulled back lightly from his increasingly tight grip. She saw tears running down Alex's face and that was when she decided to wake him. Before she was able to make even a minute movement or the softest noise, Alex had moved himself.
"GET OUT!" He yelled, pushing her off of the opposite side of the bed as he himself jumped out of bed and stood, in a fighting stance, breathing as if he had just run three consecutive marathons.
Lettie fearfully peered over the side of the bed from where she had landed on the floor, "Alex? Alex, are you okay?"
Alex's pained and fearful features softened slightly as she began to recover his breath. "Lettie," He groaned. "Shit. I'm so sorry. I... it was just a bad dream."
Lettie nodded before crawling back into the bed, followed by Alex. Instead of falling back into their former sleeping position, they laid face to face with Alex's arm under one pillow, his other pulling her in close. Lettie's arm was hooked underneath his arm that was wrapped around her shoulders and she could feel his tensed back muscles. Beginning to rub comforting circles all over his back, she whispered, "Talk about it?"
"It's nothing, really." He shook his head. Lettie took his answer, knowing she couldn't force him into talking about it. He would talk when he wanted too. And she was right. He knew she hadn't fallen asleep because she was still rubbing his back and she knew he hadn't fallen asleep because his breathing was still rigid and forced. "I was adopted. The house that I destroyed, the sister that I had killed, that wasn't always my life. I was born in Hawaii. I lived there with my parents and my brother. We were headed home once, on our way back from vacation and there was a crash. The plane caught fire and it was going down so fast. My parents strapped my brother and I into the parachute and pushed us out of the plane. I'm assuming they died. I was so young. I remember my brother and I going to a hospital for a long time. Then to an orphanage. I got placed. I don't know what happened to Scott."
Lettie didn't know what to say. Alex's life really had been one shitty thing after another. So instead of saying anything, she just gently moved her hand to his face, pushing back some of the hair that had fallen down, wiped away a stray tear that he hadn't seemed to notice, then continued rubbing his back lightly.
"I dream about it sometimes. Increasingly, lately. I don't know what happened. I can't believe I pushed you out of the bed. You must think I'm insane."
"Hey. Shhh." Lettie cooed. "You were asleep, Alex. You had a bad dream. I don't think you're insane. I think your life has been rough and that's naturally going to lead to some bad times while trying to sleep. Just... calm down. I want to say it's okay, but I know it's not. I know that doesn't change anything or bring back your parents or your siblings or help you know where Scott is... I honestly don't know what to say." Lettie confessed.
"No. You're right when you say it won't change anything, but it's true. It is okay. I mean, I guess everything happens for a reason. I never had reason to believe that until Charles showed up and took me away from the prison. Showed me that there are others out there, that I can have a reason to still be alive. And you showed up. And Sean, Raven, Hank, Darwin... It's okay. You don't have to say anything. Just don't think any less of me."
"Never." Lettie promised, kissing him lightly. Alex smiled and pulled her closer, signifying that the conversation was over. It wasn't long before sleep, once more, took over the two mutants body. This time, it was uninterrupted.
When Lettie finally awoke the next morning, it was late. She wasn't even sure if it was still morning.
Charles? Lettie thought, hoping that he could hear her.
Yes? Lettie? Is that you? Is everything alright? Charles immediately responded.
I was going to ask you the same thing. It's entirely too late in the day. Why haven't you woken us up already?
You have all been working so hard. I figured I'd let everyone take the day and relax. There is lunch down in the kitchens if you're hungry.
Lettie smiled. The fact that Charles was giving them the day off seemed to be proof that he was proud of the progress they were making. Thanks, Charles.
Charles didn't respond, and Lettie could only hope that he was now out of her head as she was looking at Alex. He looked so peaceful. A complete 180 from the mess that had woken her up in the hours and hours earlier. Careful not to wake him, Lettie carefully maneuvered herself out from the entrapment of his arms. Time to go see if Raven was awake, Lettie begrudgingly admitted. She had promised, after all. And she was excited to talk about this to someone. Even if they hadn't exactly figured anything out.
Walking quietly across the hall and knocking on the door, Lettie was slightly surprised to hear the blonde mutant girl telling her to come in. When Lettie obeyed, she saw Raven was perched on her bed, seemingly staring of into space.
"Let! You okay?" Her concern was genuine as she was patting the bed beside her. Taking the signal, Lettie plopped down on her friends bed. She was quiet for a few seconds, prompting Raven to speak again, "Girl, what's wrong? You're scaring me."
"Don't freak out, okay? Don't be loud. Don't scream. Don't tell anybody. But... well... I promised you that you'd be the third to know..." Lettie spoke finally. Raven's eyes widened considerably and she got this goofy grin on her face as she sat up, her spacey face from before completely gone.
"Tell. Me. Everything." She demanded.
"I mean, there's not much to tell. The both of us always seem to end up in my bed together or sleeping in the car together, we train together, we've gotten use to being around each other the majority of the time. It's difficult to sleep without his presence, so he slept with me last night." Raven squealed. "I'm not finished. We were just cuddled up in bed together, not really talking, and he kissed me. He started apologizing, saying he should have asked for permission and what not and I kissed him again. He asked me what I wanted to do now. Where I wanted to go with this. I asked where he wanted to go with this. We both said how we hadn't planned on coming here and finding a... whatever the hell this is... and we both admitted that we had feelings for the other. Then we went to sleep." Lettie ended lamely.
Raven snorted at the anti-climatic ending. "That's it? You just went to sleep?"
"Well, yeah. Neither one of us knew where to go from there. So... we went to sleep. I just thought you might like to know."
"Well, duh! You're my best friend. I think I deserve to know when you two thick heads have finally stopped being thick heads. So what do you want from this?"
"I honestly don't know, Rae. I didn't come here to find a relationship or a fling or true love. I came here to learn how to use my powers and to help fight in the mutant war. I came here to make friends that are the same as me. I don't want whatever this is to distract me from that."
"Girl. You better not lose him. Everyone has seen the way he looks at you. Losing him would be the single most greatest mistake you ever have, would, or could make in your life."
That just gave Lettie more to think about. How did he look at her? Shaking her head, she stood from her friends bed. "I'm going to shower. Want to go down and get lunch when I get done?" Raven gave her agreement to the plan and Lettie headed out, stopping only briefly at the door to shoot her loud friend a warning, "And please, not a word. To anybody." To which Raven promised.
When she walked, as quietly as possible, into her room, she saw Alex had sat up against the bed frame and was still wiping the sleep from his eyes.
"Morning." he whispered gruffly and smiled at her. Lettie smiled back as her stomach did this weird flip flop thing and seemed to drop down 10000000 flights at the same time as it shot up into the air and somersaulted.
"Morning." She replied back, whispering equally as quietly. Alex held his arm out and jerked his head, motioning for her to join him. Obeying, she scooted herself into her bed and cuddled up to his side up against the bed frame.
"I woke up and you weren't here. I was worried last night was all a dream." He laughed, then his eyes darkened. "Speaking of dreams..."
"We don't have to talk about it." Lettie spoke softly, hoping he wouldn't ruin this perfect morning with talk like that. Alex looked down at her before throwing his other arm around her and somehow swinging himself so that she was pressed completely up against the head board and he was sitting in front/on top of her. He kissed her forehead softly.
"Thanks." He whispered. Lettie just winked.
"I'm suppose to be taking a shower. I told Raven I'd go down for lunch with her when I got done." Alex groaned.
"I was really looking forward to just spending the whole day in your bed, since Charles is apparently giving us the day off."
"Alex, if we stay in here all day they're going to get suspicious. Plus, aren't you at least the slightest bit worried about what Sean has been doing? He's like a puppy. Leaving him alone for any period of time could be detrimental to many different aspects of life." Alex just groaned again. Lettie laughed as she wiggled her way out from underneath Alex, considering that he had thrown his body down, lightly of course, during this last groan. "Spend time with Sean today." She ordered as she went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. When she was done she walked out into her room to see Alex still laying face down on her bed. Laughing, she walked over to him. "Hey, get outta my bed you big slug. Go spend time with your friend." She pushed him playfully.
"Fine." He groaned, once again, into the pillow. Nevertheless, he stood. Smiling down at Lettie as he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. "This was a nice way to wake up." And then he was gone.
Shaking her head, Lettie went to the bags of things that they had gotten at the store the day before. Picking out a nice relaxing outfit to wear around the house, she went into the bathroom and was showered and dressed within thirty minutes. She walked out of the bathroom to see Raven waiting on her bed.
"Jesus, Raven. You scared the shit out of me. What if I wasn't dressed?" She guffawed, trying to catch her breath.
"It's not like you have anything I haven't seen before." Raven rolled her eyes. Judging by her wet hair, she had obviously also just taken a shower. "I was wondering... could you... ya know... dry my hair?" Lettie laughed and did her thing. In no time, Raven's hair was completely dry.
"Would you believe... I've never thought of that?" Lettie laughed. "You're a bloody genius."
The two girls laughed as they made their way to the kitchen to get some food. There was no one there when they arrived, but there was a note.
My friends,
Erik, Moira, and myself have some important business to attend to. I am not sure of when we will return. There is plenty of food in the house and I've pre-made dinner for the night. Just stick it in the oven for an hour at 400 degrees. Have a nice day off.
Charles.
P.S. Please don't leave the grounds. I ask this as a precaution. I trust you. It's others I don't trust.
P.P.S. Please don't destroy my house. I've grown quite fond of it.
The girls looked at each other, with wide eyes. They were alone. Well, not alone but the older three were gone. They made themselves sandwiches for lunch, all the while Raven wa talking about all the things they could do on their free day.
"... or there's always the pond again. We can explore some more of the woods. Or we can explore the house a bit to help you guys get more use to it. Oooh, we can do makeovers! And we could always break the rules and go int town. If Charles prepared dinner then he's planning on being super late and as long as we're back before him he wouldn't even have to know. Or we can g-"
"RAE!" Lettie finally cut her friend off. "Damn. I love you, but damn. At least breathe between your words!"
"I'm sorry!" Raven whined. "I'm just still excited to have other people my age around! What did you do back home on your free days?"
"Those were few and far between. Normally if I wasn't at school, I was working in the bookshop. On the rare days I was completely free, I'd clean or relax. Read a book. Go grocery shopping. Sometimes, mam and I lucked up and both had an off day, so we'd pack food and go find a park or something and just talk and read. We lived simple lives. I guess it sounds boring, but we were happy." Lettie smiled, thinking back on some of her favorite memories.
"Actually, it sounds a lot like what my family use to do. We played a lot of board games, too." Sean spoke as he, Hank, and Alex joined the girls in the kitchen. "Afternoon, ladies."
"Afternoon, guys." Lettie and Raven chimed together. Lettie couldn't stop sneaking glances at Alex. She could swear that he had gotten more attractive, just since this morning. She lightly shook her head, trying to get herself back in the conversation, which was still what the young mutants were going to do today.
"I think it sounds like a good idea to go back to the pond. I know we've gone a couple times already, but it's nice there. We can swim or just lay out and read. And it seems nice outside." Lettie put in.
The mutants around the room agreed. Even, to everyone's surprise, Hank said it sounded nice. So thirty minutes later, the five friends were headed out the front door and down the path that leads to the pond. Lettie had her favorite book, The Hobbit, in tow. The leaves on the trees were beginning to change to a nice orangey red color and the smell in the air was heavenly. The sunshine was warm on Lettie's skin, and she was excited to have a nice relaxing day. The guys had brought along a pigskin and were throwing it around as they were walking. Alex even taught Hank the proper way to throw the ball, a scene that made Lettie proud and Raven 'awww'.
When they arrived at the pond, it was even colder than last time.
"Hey, Siren. You think you could try warming up the water again? No pressure!" Sean shouted from where he was standing with one toe in the water. It was with confidence this time that Lettie replied.
"No promises, but I'll try!" She walked over to the water's edge where Sean was standing and leaned down, placing one hand on top of the water.
"Good luck, girl!" Raven cheered her on from behind her.
I've got this. Lettie thought as she prepared herself. She willed herself to become one with the water, willed the water to do as she wanted, to listen to her requests. Then she imagined the water warm, like a hot tub or a nice boiling cup of water before you put the tea bag in. She imagined the group swimming in the nice, warm water. It was while her mind was imagining saunas and hot springs, and willing heat to seep out through her hand into the water that she felt the pull begin in her stomach. She willed it harder and harder, imagining more and more until…
"It's working, Lettie! I can feel it getting warmer!" Sean shouted.
I know that's an awkward place to cut it off but like, I feel like this chapter is too long. Also I'm watching Family Guy and slightly distracted. I realized earlier that I've been working on this story for almost 2 ½ years. It's taking me so long lmao. I apologize for all the breaks that I've taken. But I'm out of school now. I just work all the time. I got a new laptop, so I'll be able to write more often. Thanks for the ones of you that have stuck around. There's a good chance I'll end up rewriting this chapter. Also, I need constructive criticism. Is this too fluffy? Is it stupid? Are the characters too OOC? Let me know, babes.
xx