Author's note: Thank you to partygirl98, kmj1989, ss, and anonymouscsifan for the reviews! Anonymous, I hope you enjoyed your trip! Ss, I'm glad you picked up on that part. Think about it- Hank has been habitually under-appreciated for the past several years, what with Charles' decade-long pity party and then more recently with the X-Men. He's dying for a change. And that's part of why Vivien intrigues him so much ;-)

Anyway, today's chapter was very tough for me to write. I'm still not completely satisfied, but here it is! I hope you guys enjoy it anyway.

Cross Purposes

July 1, 1974

I'm not so naive as to automatically assume that Vivien's actions weren't all calculated to fool me into a feeling of friendship with her. It's something I consider long and hard, because I'm unwilling to be tricked a second time after the kiss-turned-assault when we met in that Agent Orange facility.

I want to believe that her actions were truthful, but I know the only way to find out for sure is to see how she reacts to me when we meet on a mission.

Fate doesn't keep me waiting long.

The Brotherhood makes a move against another facility about a week after my little mountain adventure. This time Charles has enough forewarning to send us out before they get there.

"Beast, you and Storm get the inside just in case someone slips by the rest of us," Alex says after we scout out the place. "Angel, you-"

"Yeah, I know," Warren sighs, fluttering his wings. "Eyes up top."

Alex allows himself a wry grin. "You got it."

Everyone is trained so well that Storm and I don't even have to speak as we enter the building and find a good spot to watch for wayward Brotherhood members on a second floor balcony overlooking the rest of the warehouse.

We settle down to wait in complete silence.

Storm's not exactly chatty, so this is unsurprising. She likes to keep to herself most of the time, and she's rather bitter and mistrustful for such a young person. But I guess she has good reason to be after her years on the streets in Cairo.

It's a trial not to fidget while we wait. I haven't been this anxious on a mission for a very long time, but right now I'm ruminating on what I'll do when I see Vivien again.

If I see her- I find myself hoping this is a false alarm.

It's mind-numbingly dull for two hours, at which point both Storm and I are praying for Alex to get on the radio and tell us we're all-clear.

But then a familiar scent drifts over, filling my nose with the aroma of sunshine and flowers.

Vivien.

I automatically look over my shoulder to peer into the darkness behind us, but I see nothing. And I also hear nothing except Storm's breathing and heartbeat. Vivien must've just observed us for a moment before quickly moving on, using her ghost-like tread to avoid detection.

"What is it?" Storm asks. "Do you see something?"

"No," I reply honestly, taking a step backwards. "But let me go check something. Stay here and keep watch, please."

"You sure?"

I nod.

Tracking the scent is effortless, because it's both recent and familiar to me. After Alkali Lake I feel like all things "Vivien" are rather unfortunately branded into my senses. I can't forget how she smells even if I try.

I'm halfway around the warehouse when the trail gets very fresh. There's a lot of boxes and pillars here, and I can sense eyes on me, though I hear and see nothing.

You know the feeling- that tingling sensation you get when your subconscious is trying to tell you you're being watched.

"Vivien," I whisper loudly. "Vivien-"

She seems to materialize out of thin air from behind a pillar. She gives me a tentative smile, though her eyes are still cautious.

"H-hi," I say, awkwardly shifting my feet.

"Hi," Vivien whispers. Her smile gets a little warmer as she notices how unsure I am.

I'm completely at a loss of what to say to her, but I take a stab at it anyway.

"You made it back alright?"

She chuckles. "No. You're talking to my life-model decoy," she teases, holding up her hand and wiggling her fingers. "Very realistic, don't you think?"

"Yes, very. I can't even tell the difference," I reply, grinning. I take a breath and tell her sincerely, "I'm glad you're safe, Vivien."

She laughs quietly. "You too, Hank."

A pause.

There's so much I want to ask her, but I know I can't.

Have you been thinking about me the way I have about you? Do you dream about that kiss in the forest? Have you-?

"I've missed you, you know," Vivien murmurs. "No one will talk about books with me like you did."

My stomach flip-flops painfully, and I have to look down at my feet while my cheeks warm.

Is she serious?

"Vivien-" I begin, but when I glance up I see that she's starting to back away from me. "Wait-" I say, stepping after her.

"I can't stay," she tells me with a wry grin. "I'm the only one who could get by your people outside. I'd say that's mission aborted for the night. I'll- I'll see you around, Hank."

And then Vivien melts into the shadows and vanishes before I can reply.

Damnation. She needs to stop doing that.

My mind is racing as I make my way back over to where Storm awaits.

Vivien decided to withdraw rather than pressing ahead with whatever the Brotherhood's goal was tonight, claiming that she couldn't because she was alone. That's a surprise to me, because through my observations of her I've noticed that Vivien actually prefers to operate by herself. The only time she's partnered with anyone on missions is when her insane younger brother is present, because she has to watch him.

So why did she give up tonight? Because of my presence, or because she didn't agree with the goal of this mission? The former hypothesis is flattering, but I think I'd much rather have it be the latter. That would mean she's thinking for herself, rather than blindly following the Brotherhood's line. I want that for her so badly, for Vivien to see the error of her ways and leave the Brotherhood.

The fact that our encounter was perfectly amicable is both comforting and depressing. It makes me realize that Vivien and I truly are "friends" after our adventure together.

But we're friends at cross purposes. It's saddening to know that whatever we have between us is not only dangerous for both of us, it will also never reach its full potential.

How could it, when we're fighting on different sides?

October 1, 1974

That's why I agree when Sam comes to me with a proposition a few months later.

"Hey, Hank," he says, coming into my lab while I'm running PCR one day. "I need you to do me a favor."

"What is it?" I ask willingly enough. Because I like Sam- he's cheerful and very talkative, a welcome change for an occasionally gloomy introvert like myself.

"I have a date on Friday night," Sam explains, "but the girl wants to make it a double with her roommate, so... what do you say?"

I stare at him, completely dumbfounded.

Is he really asking me what I think he is? For me to be his wing man? Does he know I haven't even really been on a date before?

For some reason Vivien comes to mind in this moment. How it felt to have her in my arms, to kiss her. Since then the only contact we've had has been quick, whispered conversations and wistful looks when we see each other on missions. Otherwise, we've purposely stayed well away from one another so we don't have to fight.

I haven't been able to stop thinking about her these past few months. Vivien has become a burning ache I constantly feel in my chest, with no hope of relief.

Nothing can ever happen between us, after all. I mean, it's not like I'll ever be able to take her out to the movies or anything.

Maybe it would be better for me to try to forget about Vivien. To find someone who isn't part of an enemy organization, someone nice and normal.

A normal relationship- isn't that a novel idea?

"That sounds nice," I tell Sam, shoving aside a niggling guilty feeling. "What time?"