A/N: Poor pacing and writing ahead. This was to be a drabble, but it started to take too effin' long, so I chopped it up, edited it a bit, and I'm posting it as is. Complete, for now.

This drabble / butchered story jumps off from the Tinder Hearts idea from Random Set-ups for Adoption #2. Enjoy~!

-0-0-0-

Rose-Colored Boy

"Just let me cry!
A little bit longer
I ain't gon smile
If I don't want to"

-0-0-0-

Champion's HQ

"Scott's got a match!"

"Some mousy-looking nerd calling herself 'Catty Fairy'." Sam snorted. "She's as plain as any Jane you'd find."

Miles rolled his eyes. He could name a not-so plain Jane right then, but there was no point arguing with Sam. Sam was just Sam—rude, sometimes incredibly arrogant and obnoxious, but you knew he'd dive in front of a bullet for you. So, instead, Miles said, "If you're so against her, why did you swipe right then?"

"It's not that I'm against her. I'm just saying she's plain. Look." Sam held up Scott's phone. "And I'll give you one guess."

And Miles did see.

'Catty' had a sharp jaw below her green eyes, which were peering behind large, round glasses. She wore a green plaid shirt that looked one size larger than her light frame.

Instantly, however, Miles knew the only reason Sam decided to swipe for Scott.

"It's her hair, isn't it?"

Indeed. Her flaming red hair was tied up in a neat bun that made her look like an old librarian.

Sam grinned smugly. "Bingo."

Miles continued to study the profile.

There was only one picture, and in it, she was carrying a textbook, appearing to be at school. Absently, Miles noted that the picture looked candid, instead of staged. Unflattering, even, and angled awkwardly as if the photo was stolen.

"Princeton?"

"Says she used to go, but dropped out. Some tech nerd." Sam shrugged. "Though, if she dropped out, she's probably not that smart."

"Sam…" Miles frowned.

"I'm not saying she isn't a good person, though." He added, but then chose to continue, "But she does look like the type of person who'd grow into an old maid with only kittens for comfort."

Miles dropped the subject with a sigh. Not for the first time did the space-teen's casual abrasiveness get to his nerves. Sam was simply born with a foot in his mouth. "When are you telling Scott?"

At this, Sam actually looked nervous. "I was thinking maybe someone else could tell him, this time." And in a lower tone, he grumbled, "Scott didn't look too happy the last time I gave him a date…"

Miles blinked. "Wait, me?"

"Really? You're awesome, bud!" Sam happily said and quickly handed him Scott's phone. "Thanks for volunteering! Well, I got to run. I'm meeting—er, I think Kamala is calling me, so I better go fly."

"Sam-!"

"See you, Miles!"

"SAM!"

But it was too late.

Sam had flown from the building, leaving Miles with yet another responsibility.

Miles sighed.

He was beginning to regret being part of this.

-0-0-0-

At the start of the date

"Are you… Scott?" Someone behind him asked.

Scott turned and was met with two breasts. "What." He flatly said, confused.

"Up here, shades." The breasts called.

Scott took a step back, and his gaze raised upwards.

His breath promptly left his lips. "Catty?" He almost gaped. And he was very, very confused.

"It's Caitlin, actually." The gorgeous- and tall! He was only up to her lip! And he was closing in on six feet!—red-head corrected with a patient smile.

Catty—that is, Caitlin, actually—wore a green jacket, made distinct by the number 13 embroidered into its front, over a black one-piece skirt that really, really should have ended lower than the middle of her long, toned and bare thighs. There didn't seem to be an ounce of fat in her—except for the large twin mounds that had initially greeted him, that is. Her shoulder-length red hair was distinctly not in a bun, and the way it curved around her sharp face like angelic fire only seemed to accentuate the glimmer in her piercing emerald eyes.

Scott, clad in his dark blue jacket and denims, felt incredibly under-dressed. And out of his depth.

And very, very embarrassed. Was he—did he actually ogle? For how long? He quickly repressed the thought and got a hold of himself.

Just in time, as well, as the taller person continued, "Or Kat. My friends call me Kat."

"I'm Scott." He told her, stretching a hand out in greeting. "It's nice to meet you. How did you know it was me?"

"Your shades. They're—they're very distinct." Caitlin then gave his hand an odd look before accepting. "And, likewise. But rather old-fashioned, don't you think?" She tilted her head at their hands.

"I'm a bit old-fashioned." Scott told her easily. When they pulled back, Scott couldn't help but clarify, "And, sorry—I don't mean to offend, but are you really Catty Fairy?"

Caitlin winced—and Scott interpreted it as him insulting her. "I mean, I just want to make sure I got the right person. I don't want to accidentally get the wrong person, and for the real Catty Fairy to arrive here for nothing, you see…"

"I understand. That's very sweet of you." Caitlin said; and it truly was. She knew any other man would have dropped their girlfriend—and had, actually, one time- if it meant going on a date with her.

Scott seemed nice enough. She inwardly cursed her sister and her friends for putting her in this predicament.

Sucking in a deep breath through her nose, she let out a deep sigh and explained. "Listen, there's no easier way around this so I just want to tell you clearly. Yes, I'm— I'm Catty Fairy," She made a face, almost spitting at having to say the name. "At least, that's the profile name my friends chose. And please don't ever mention that name ever again."

"Your… friends?" Scott had a sinking suspicion that he knew where this was going.

"Yes." Caitlin smiled at him apologetically. "I love them, I really do. But I'm sorry—they made that profile and matched you, all without my consent or knowledge. They said I couldn't just, well-" The way she stammered gave Scott the feeling that she was choosing her words, for some reason. "I couldn't keep working every day." She sighed. "I wasn't really planning on seeing anybody, really—so it's not you."

What. Scott's eyes widened behind his shades.

"However," Caitlin continued, oblivious to Scott's confusion. "I don't mind spending the day with you. I mean, I imagine you cleared out your schedule today, and I really don't have anything planned…" She ran a hand through her hair self-consciously. She could only imagine how manipulative she must have sounded to this total—and seemingly nice—stranger.

"Huh." Scott blinked, suddenly feeling both slighted and amazed. "So that's what that feels like."

It really did feel sucky to hear that at the start of a date. Scott—and now, Caitlin—were just being honest, but it still didn't lessen the blow at being told you were basically an unplanned afterthought.

Scott made a mental note to send an apology to his previous dates, later.

Caitlin looked at her date—the date was still on, right? Because her friends threatened she couldn't return home until her date was finished—cautiously. "You're… not mad?" She asked, tentatively.

"I can't get mad, really." Scott smiled at her guiltily. "I mean, I'm much in the same boat. My friends said I needed to—to hang out more." Scott quickly corrected. Dating practice with Kamala and Viv had ingrained in him that he shouldn't, under any circumstance, mention his woes regarding the only woman in his other team.

A teammate who, coincidentally, also had flaming red hair and beautiful emerald eyes. Damn you, Sam.

"They pretty much did the same thing your friends did. So," Scott shook himself from his musings and addressed the tall woman with a hopeful smile, "if you're still up for it, do you want to hang out with me? Just for today, I mean." Scott added—and realized too late how awkward he must have sounded. The Champions were right; he needed to get out more.

Caitlin smiled widely. "I'd like that. And if we both have a good time, maybe it'll make our friends lay off for a while. So we won't have this misunderstanding again." She said with an eager clap and mischievous fire in her eyes.

The hopeful way she said it drew a smile on Scott's face.

Caitlin was absolutely infectious.

"You're not at all what I was expecting." Scott found himself absently complimenting.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean." Scott quickly scrambled his brain for an excuse. He quickly pulled up his phone. "Look. This is the photo on your profile."

"Ah. That would be my sister's work." Caitlin admitted. Her sister wanted to weed out potential creeps that were simply after a woman tits and ass.

As her sister pointed out, the average guy tended to attempt to score higher than his actual strike zone. Seeing how her sister's boyfriend hung around her, and bless him because underneath his panty-chasing and gorilla-like stature was one of the truest friends a person could only be so lucky to find, Caitlin still had to agree.

Not that her current date needed to know her musings, of course.

"But that really is me." Caitlin explained, instead.

"Really?"

Caitlin frowned at him. "Why do you look so surprised?"

"Can you blame me? You look like you grew a foot." Scott said in honest wonder, and Caitlin realized he didn't mean to come across as offensive. "What did your parents do to you?"

"Oh, you know. Just the usual things." Caitlin answered, "Ah, meat and dairy. And regular exercise."

Scott had the feeling the tall woman was being evasive and decided not to push further. Instead, he told her, "Well, I hope you didn't change too much."

Caitlin blinked. "Why so?"

"There's a book fair happening a few blocks from here." Scott admitted sheepishly. "I was trying to think of a place to take you based on your profile, but now I'm not sure if you still want to go."

Emerald eyes glinted at the mention of books, but Caitlin quickly quelled her excitement. "Oh, uh, but are you sure you want to go look at books? I wouldn't want to bore you." What kind of date would she be if she only cared about what made her happy?

Scott shook his head with a smile. "Actually, I wanted to look around, too. But I understand if you don't want to go anymore." He'd just drop by after their date.

Caitlin's hands quickly grabbed his and she shook her head vehemently. "No!" she all but shouted, surprising herself. Embarrassment quickly covered her cheeks when she realized people were staring. Caitlin swallowed the nervous dryness in her throat, and continued in a quieter tone, "I mean, I'd love to go. With you." The last part, she hastily added. "To the book fair, I mean."

Caitlin inwardly groaned. Why was this so awkward?

Knowing she was better with action than words, she quickly hooked an arm around his. "C'mon, lead the way and let's go!"

"N-not to fast! I don't want my shades to get knocked over."

Caitlin rolled her eyes. Men, she thought, but she decided to let his vanity slide. There were books to be read!

As they made their way to the fair, Scott found himself enjoying the eagerness painted on the canvas that was Caitlin's pretty face.

-0-0-0-

Scott surmised that his date really loved books.

It didn't take long for the tall woman to let go of his arm and disappear into the store, leaving Scott to roam on his own. Occasionally, he'd spy a glimpse of her—and it was really hard not to; she stood out like a beacon—and he'd smile as she gushed over a title or two, or pore through the pages of a leather-bound.

Eventually, they reunited in queue to the cashier.

"Did you find anything?" Caitlin asked while protectively cradling a book against her chest.

Scott idly wondered if she thought somebody would try to steal it from her.

"Yeah. This." He held up his own find for her to see.

"12 Rules for Life?" She questioned. A part of her honestly expected him to pick out a comic book or a trade paperback. "You're such an old man, Scott." She teased.

The sudden meekness in Scott's posture made Caitlin giggle. He looked very cute.

Feeling she had had enough fun at his expense, Scott asked back, "Well, what did you get?"

Caitlin held up her book with a wide smile.

"On the Origin of Species." Scott read. "By… Charles Darwin?"

"That's right." Caitlin happily hummed. "I remember reading this back in grade school. It was very provocative."

A man behind Caitlin snorted at her mention of the word, but both of them ignored him.

Instead, Scott pointed out, "You're really a nerd."

"I prefer the title '4.0 Grade Point Average'." Caitlin smugly stated.

"Oh, I could believe that." Scott said genuinely. "Honestly, I can't imagine how you're a dropout."

"Ah…" Caitlin's shoulders suddenly deflated. "It's—it was by choice. School just wasn't in the cards, for me." She glanced at him curiously. "What about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"What are you like in school? What's your school like?"

Scott scratched the back of his head in an embarrassed gesture. "I'm home-schooled." Scott half-lied.

"Really?" Caitlin asked in wonder. "So that's a 'no' to college, too?"

"I suppose college wasn't in the cards for me, either." Scott echoed her with an easy smile.

To Caitlin, however, he somehow looked resigned, but she quickly dismissed it as a trick of the light. Still, her heart twisted lightly, and she reached out to gently squeeze his shoulder. "I guess that's just yet another thing we have in common, isn't it?" She smiled back at him.

Taking the olive branch, Scott agreed. "Yeah. I guess it is."

A warm silence fell upon them as they waited their turn to be served. Caitlin idly wondered what Scott was thinking—it was incredibly difficult to get a read on him; she could barely see his eyes beyond his red shades. It made her curious to know their color, and a bit self-conscious in not knowing if he was staring back at her, or even where.

Maybe—maybe she could find a way to subtly get him to take them off, later.

"Anyway," she bashfully started, her breath briefly hitching when she once more drew his gaze. "Do you have anything planned after this?"

Scott shook his head. "I was thinking we could settle somewhere to eat, but I wasn't sure if you would be hungry."

"I'm not that hungry, yet." She admitted. However… "But maybe we could work up an appetite."

Scott tilted his head, intrigued. "What do you have in mind?"

"Do you want to hit the arcade?"

-0-0-0-

A/N: Geh, this introductory segment is already taking too many words to be a drabble, so I'm going to speed things along with time-skips~

-0-0-0-

Part [X]: Caitlin and Scott are at the arcade. Things are going smoothly, they're both polite, but the situation still feels somewhat awkward. Each can tell the other is hiding something.

"You'll be able to play better without those shades, you know." Caitlin told him. "Why don't you take them off?"

"It's alright." Scott told her, evasively. "Just give me a few moments to adjust." When the tall woman's mouth opened to protest, Scott quickly moved in to deflect, "Consider this a handicap."

Caitlin's mouth clicked shut and a competitive light glinted in her eyes. "Alright, mister. You asked for it!"

Part [X]: The Ratkillers attack

All the windows and doors around them exploded as armored men wearing guns flooded in.

Caitlin stood up, fists bared and seemingly ready to brawl. Meanwhile, Scott's hands flew to his shades, ready to unleash red fury on the attackers, all the while trying to figure out who they were.

"Get behind me, Scott." Caitlin ordered as she moved in front of him protectively.

"Never thought you'd ever be out in the open again, Fairchild." The leader of the squadron mocked. "Never thought you'd stupid enough to be out in the open, alone."

"Ratkillers," Caitlin spat. "I thought I.O. had given up on us already."

"You're all valuable assets, Fairchild. So I'm going to need you to play nice and come home with us."

It was at this moment when Scott finally realized, with a small sigh of relief that, for once, the attackers were not after him.

But why were they after his date?

-0-0-0-

Part [X]: Scott & Caitlin are captured, with Kat damaging her clothes and Scott loses his shades.

"Scott?" He heard a woman call. "Scott, are you awake?"

"Caitlin…?" Scott groaned, forcing his eyes shut. He counted himself fortunate that he had trained himself to never open his eyes whenever he woke up because, as feeling—and pain—gradually returned to him, he couldn't feel the familiar weight of his ruby quartz shades.

"Oh, thank god!" Caitlin sighed in relief. She ignored the way Scott's eyes remained closed because she was just happy to know he was still alive. "When they hit you in the head, I was worried."

"Caitlin," He groaned. He definitely got hit in the head—and were his hands bound? He'd figure that out later, but first, "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Caitlin blinked. He was worried more about her than where they were or even himself?

"I'm fine. A bit roughed up—and I could really use a new set of clothes, but I can't do anything with my hands tied and—" Caitlin's teeth sunk onto her lower lip nervously. Inwardly, she briefly debated whether to tell Scott the truth, but realized it would come out sooner rather than later. Might as well be the one to rip that Band-Aid, "And my powers don't work with these dampeners."

"I can lend you my jacket when we get out." He reassured her—and tried not to imagine her state of undress. Focus. "But what do you mean by powers?" Scott repeated, confused. Was Caitlin a mutant, too?

"Yeah. I'm—I'm the 13th Generation of a super soldier program." And that was putting it mildly. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, she added, "To be specific, I'm the child of one, meaning I inherited their genes- which were forcefully activated."

Caitlin waited for Scott to digest her words. Would he hate her? Or find her a freak? Would he even believe her?

But Scott's reaction was far from what she expected. "Huh." Scott sighed. "I suppose that's a thing, too."

"You—you believe me?" Caitlin gave him a perplexed look.

"That's not the strangest thing I've heard or seen." Scott assured her, straightening up in his seat. "And I suppose the people that abducted us are the same people that you escaped from?"

"That's…accurate, yes." Caitlin continued, still dumbfounded.

"Alright." Scott nodded his head. All the cobwebs were finally gone. "What are we looking at? I need you to explain our situation, because all I know so far is we're both bound and we're in a moving vehicle." Scott paused, listening intently. "And judging by how nobody's interrupted us yet, it's only the two of us here."

Scott swung his head to the empty space to his left, and then to his right-

"Wait-!"

-and promptly hit metal. "Oof," Scott groaned. "Pretty small truck we're in." He surmised. "That's your leg brushed up against my foot, right?"

"Yes."

"Definitely a small truck. Sloppy, but that's fortunate." Scott clicked his teeth. Luck favored the fortunate, and they were lucky that their captors likely were new recruits.

"Scott, you feeling alright?" Caitlin asked in concern. She had so many questions about him!

"Yeah." Scott appeared to look around, as if scoping his surroundings- but how could he while his eyes were closed?—before continuing. "This power of yours… what can you do?"

"You're really taking this in easily." Caitlin narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "Almost like you're used to this sort of thing. Who are you, really, Scott?"

Scott gave her a sad smile. "I'll explain it to you later, but for now I need you to trust me. The longer it takes us to break free, the further away we are from where we started, meaning-"

"-the longer it'll take for help to arrive, yes, I figured that out." Caitlin sighed. "Fine, I'll let it slide just this once, but you better give me a thorough explanation later." She compromised. She didn't like being kept in the dark, but escaping was their number one priority.

"Promise." Scott nodded his head.

That one word reassured her.

"Alright. We're captured by the military arm of I.O., dubbed as the Ratkillers. I.O., itself, is an off-the-books government agency producing super soldiers."

"Just had to be them again…" Scott grumbled unhappily.

"Er, right." Caitlin brushed off the comment. "As for my powers—well, I'm really strong. And invulnerable to most injuries."

"But not to electrocution." Scott recalled from how they were captured.

Caitlin frowned. "No, not to that."

"What's dampening your powers?"

Caitlin raised her arms, bound at her wrists. "These shackles. This has happened before."

"Oh? So how sturdy are they?"

"A strong enough blow through the middle should break it. I could break them with my bare hands if I had my powers." Caitlin remarked with a wry smile. "But there's nothing I can use nearby."

"Alright." Scott smirked. "Our situation isn't as dire as I initially assumed."

"And why is that?"

"Well, my eyes are itching."

Caitlin looked at him oddly. "Do you want me to scratch them?" She wiggled her fingers for emphasis, but realized Scott couldn't see them.

"No." Scott shook his head and then straightened his posture. "But I want you to level the gap of your shackles with my eyes."

"O...kay?"

"Have you done it?"

"Yes." Caitlin frowned, but remained curious. Hopeful, even. The anticipation made her lips dry.

"Good. Now, things are going to happen quickly, so I need you prepared."

"Already am." She grit her teeth. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to blast your shackles free, then blast a hole through his truck. However, I'll be blind when we get out, so I need you to communicate with me."

Blast? With what—no, never mind. She told him she'd trust him. Shaking her head, Caitlin, instead, clarified, "Like in the arcade?"

"Yes." Scott smirked. "Just like in the arcade." Scott inhaled deeply as he steeled himself. "Ready?"

"Just hit me, bitch." Caitlin grinned at him wildly. "But try to keep your jacket intact. I'm going to need it."

"I'll do my best." Scott said. "Also, you asked me who I was, earlier. I guess I can tell you a bit, now."

Caitlin's heart pounded in her breast. "Yeah?"

"My name is Scott Summers." He said. "And I am a mutant."

Scott opened his eyes.

-0-0-0-

Part [X]: Caitlin and Scott break free and escape into the wilderness. Scott is still blinded, so Kat has to guide him by hand.

Having escaped their pursuers temporarily, the pair stumbled into a clearing and fell on their backs, panting. After a moment, Caitlin started to giggle—and Scott, adrenaline coursing through his veins, found himself joining her with a chuckle.

"I can't believe that worked!" Caitlin finally said, as she slowly stood up. "And, wow! It's like—it's like you have a nuke in your head!"

"Oh ye, of little faith." Scott, eyes still shut, smiled up at where he assumed she was, before slowly standing up as well. Still giddy from the adrenaline, he couldn't help but add, "I find your lack of faith in me, disturbing."

"Oh, you're such a geek!" Caitlin teased and ruffled his hair.

"We're not out of the woods yet." Scott batted her hand away.

"Literally." Caitlin deadpanned, glancing around at the forest.

"Ah, yes, I suppose." Scott admitted. It was a horrible but unintended pun. "But the Ratkillers will be back soon."

"Yeah. I know these types. The next squadron will be swarming in our location soon." Caitlin sighed. "We better get moving."

"Right." Scott nodded. "I'm—I'm going to need some help, though."

"Oh, that's right." Caitlin just remembered that Scott's eyes were still closed. "I'm guessing you can't control those—what do you call them?"

"Optic blasts. And yes, you're right."

"That's why you need your shades, isn't it?"

"Yeah…"

Caitlin studied him quietly, green eyes searching his features. "That must suck." She finally said. "Do you ever get used to it?"

"I don't know." Scott sighed. "Maybe, someday. But—but I don't think I'll ever be able to control them" At least, his future-self hadn't been able to. And he died.

Noticing Scott's demeanor darken, Caitlin quickly changed the subject. "Well, until we get you a replacement, you can grab on to my shoulder." The tall woman reassured her companion.

"Thanks. That means a lot to me."

"Happy to help." She beamed at the blinded man and stepped closer to him. "Grab on."

Scott reached out to her warmth, and then squeezed.

And then frowned in confusion.

"…Scott?"

"Yes, Caitlin?"

He could feel the frown on her face like the sun on his skin.

"That's not my shoulder, mister mutant."

"OH MY DAYS! CAITLIN, I'M SORRY!" Scott's hand shot away as if burned. His body stiffened as he recalled the stiff sensation that poked his palm. "Wait, why are you naked?"

Caitlin snorted. "Oh my days? Really, Scott? How old are you?" She teased him.

"I was shocked!" Scott defended his shame.

"I know. Which makes your reaction funnier." Caitlin's giggling turned into full-blown laughter. "What's next? Great Scott!"

"No—wait, answer the question. Why the hell are you naked?"

"Ah," Caitlin's laughter abruptly died. She rubbed her arm in embarrassment. "I…well, for some strange reason, I always seem to lose articles of clothing whenever I get in trouble." She sighed. "It's something of an unlucky coincidence."

"I—I see." Scott didn't really see—figuratively or literally. He hurriedly shrugged off his jacket and offered it to her. "Here. I promised I'd lend it, right?"

"Thanks, Scott. You're the best." Caitlin gratefully accepted the jacket.

"You should have told me sooner." Scott said as he heard her putting it on. "I can't imagine how you must have felt while we were fighting."

"That's sweet of you, Scott. But it doesn't bother me as much, anymore." She reassured him honestly. "It's just a hazard of fighting, to me."

"Alright. We'll try to avoid as many fights as we can, then."

Blinded as he was, he missed the radiant smile Caitlin beamed at him.

He was so concerned for her dignity. She could shatter a tank with one punch and bounce bullets off her skin, but this man was more worried about her dignity.

A wicked thought flittered into her mind. Maybe she could be the one to break him out of that mindset…

Bad, bad thoughts! Caitlin chastised herself, but not completely. After all, it wouldn't be bad idea to invite Scott into the Gen13 suite to spend some time with her, there… to trade notes, of course. And keep each other from going into battle.

"Caitlin?"

Scott's call immediately broke her from her sinful musings.

"Y-yes, Scott?" She brushed her hair—and, wow, was her face on fire? "Did you say something?"

"Yeah." Scott wisely chose not to ask what she was thinking about when she suddenly stopped responding to him, earlier. "I just wanted to know if my jacket fit you alright."

Caitlin looked down at herself and smirked. "It covers me well, just-" her eyes flashed; a little teasing wouldn't hurt, right? "It's just a little tight at my front. Almost feels like a leotard."

To his credit, the only reaction Caitlin saw was the way his delicious throat bobbed when he swallowed.

"I see."

Emboldened, and feeling happy, she grabbed his hand.

"C'mon Scott. We have to keep moving."

"You're right." Scott shook his head and focused back on their situation, allowing the young woman to guide him. And then he realized something.

She was leading him by hand even when they escaped!

-0-0-0-

Part [X]: More developments. Kat starts becoming self-conscious of Scott, while Scott starts finding Kat's presence reassuring

"Ah!" Caitlin, distracted as she was by Scott's comment, lost her footing. "Oof!" Fortunately, Scott reacted quickly and pulled her into him before she could fall, arms wrapping around her in a steadying manner.

Caitlin's eyes widened as she felt all of Scott easily handle her weight, her body rubbing against his toned and hard strength with each of her heaving breaths. She wasn't sure whose heart was thundering faster with how close they were, and she was briefly embarrassed at the notion that he could feel hers.

"Are—are you alright?" Scott finally breathed.

God above, he smelled so good. Caitlin pressed her eyes shut tightly and willed her heart to remember itself. "Yeah." Would he notice her lingering just a tad longer than she should? Did he notice how she leaned so heavily against him? She breathed, once more, and slowly pushed back. She flashed him a grateful smile, even if he couldn't see it. "Thanks for catching me, Scott."

And god, why did it feel so good to say his name?

"Anytime." Scott smiled back.

Her heart skipped a beat.

What was happening to her?

-0-0-0-

Blinded as he was, Scott was forced to lean over the riverbank to drink water. Knees bent, with one hand steadying himself while the other scooped up the clean, hydrating water, Caitlin caught herself staring as she sat several spaces behind him.

Yes. This view is good, too.

-0-0-0-

"Sometimes, I get tired of all the running." Caitlin admitted. "I guess that's what my friends meant when they said I can't just keep working."

Scott listened to her somberly, and she continued. "We keep running, and fighting and running and—I'm just worried that, one day, our luck will catch up to us. You asked me about crazy adventures—did I tell you I traveled to the future, once? And there—the man I thought was our mentor, someone I could trust—someone that saved us—he turned into a monster and destroyed the world. All in the name of his war…"

Scott's heart twisted painfully in his chest. Her words struck too close to home. "The future isn't always what we want it to be." He found himself saying—both to comfort her, and for himself.

"Yes." Caitlin shivered at the memory, and smiled at Scott gratefully when his arms around her shoulders tightened. "I'm scared. What if our luck runs out and my friends and I die—or, or we're stuck in a future we never wanted with no hope of returning home."

"There'll always be a way, Caitlin." Scott shakily whispered, like he was trying to convince himself, too. "You just have to keep on pushing. And—and that's why you have your friends. They're there to help you—to keep you safe so that your luck won't ever run out."

"What about you, Scott?"

"Me?" There was something in Caitlin's tone that was unnerving. Almost taboo, even, like he was making a deal with the devil.

But Caitlin wasn't the devil…

"Yes." Caitlin nodded, gazing down at the man whose eyes remained closed. "If—if I ever get in over my head—will you be there for me?"

Scott nodded without hesitation, even against the oppressive feeling of her words. There was never any doubt.

"Of course. I'm your friend too, aren't I?"

Caitlin's heart fluttered.

And she couldn't help herself.

She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his forehead, stunning him.

"No take-backs, Scott. That's a promise."

-0-0-0-

Part [X]: Eventually, the Ratkillers find them, and Kat damages her clothes again

"Get away from her!"

"Quick! Someone, take him out before-!"

"Do it now, Scott!"

And Scott opened his eyes and glared at the people that dared abduct his date.

-0-0-0-

Part [X]: Scott unleashes a mega-optic blast in anger which, fortunately, draws the attention of Gen13 and the rest of the Champions

Part [X]: Amadeus and Sam lament how Scott went on a date with a perfect 10, while Scott waves them off and checks-up on Kat

"I thought you said she was going to be a crazy cat lady!" Amadeus hissed at the buckethead.

"Her picture was misleading!" Sam hissed back. "It's a bait-and-switch! A lie! A conspiracy!"

"Damn it, Scott!" Sam and Amadeus seethed.

-0-0-0-

Part [X]: Scott apologizes how the date turned out and asks if she's alright, which Kat finds very sweet

Part [X]" Kat asks if he stole a peek when at her when he opened his eyes, and Scott bashfully admits he did, but he was too focused on making sure she was safe to fully register what she was wearing

[Kat remarks it's a shame—but tells him there's always next time.

[She pecks him on the cheek before joining the rest of her family, leaving a bewildered Scott with a jealous Hulk and Nova behind.

Part [X]: Epilogue

Caitlin Fairchild is sat in front of the TV.

"What are you watching?" Roxanne Spaulding, Caitlin's half-sister, asked.

"The news."

"Really? I thought you said they were filled with government cover-ups and childish bickering." Roxy drew her shoulders up in a poor imitation of her half-sister. "Listening to the news will only misinform you, but not listening at all will make you uninformed."

"She's watching it because Scott's in it." Eddie "Grunge" Chang, Roxy's boyfriend, pointed out with a knowing grin.

True enough, the segment replayed the latest footage of the Champion's escapades.

Caitlin found she couldn't avert her attention from a particular brunet. She might have already seen him without his shirt, but there was a certain attractiveness to him wearing a torn suit that made her warm in more ways than one.

She was beginning to understand why so many men ogled her even during battle.

Scott was a very beautiful young man.

"…I see you're not denying it, Sis." Roxy pointed out. "He's been on your mind ever since he sent you a copy of that book you wanted."

Indeed, Caitlin lost her book when they were both attacked, and Scott, ever sweet, felt bad about it enough to find and send her another copy. It made her heart flutter to know he remembered.

"Mhmm…" Catilin nodded her head, absently.

"Y'know…" Roxy's lips slowly curled upwards in a sly grin. "If you really wanna suck faces with him that badly, you can always send him a picture. I think we still have that little two-piece from Nastywear®'s Spring Launch here, somewhere." Roxy wagged her brows suggestively. "And you did promise you'd give him a better look, next time."

Caitlin's head snapped towards her sister, her mouth opening and closing in a failed attempt to word a protest. "Wh-what! B-but, but I-! He's—we're not yet-"

Roxy went in for the kill. "I'll get it ready for you, Sis." She laughed as she stood up to leave the room.

Grunge's eyes lit up excitedly. "And I'll get the camera ready!" And he quickly did, his hormones powering each of his hurried steps.

Caitlin slumped in her seat, her conflicted heart pounding inside her breast. It would be so embarrassing! But she also wanted to hang out with him again, and he'd been so busy lately. Surely, she needed to get his attention…

"Kat, are you alright?" Anna's voice cut through her thoughts. The blonde android looked concerned.

"I'm—I don't know?" Caitlin lamented.

"That is alright. These things are very confusing for girls your age." Anna nodded her head. Caitlin sighed; she was such a mothering figure. "But do not worry. I shall ensure you have a box of condoms ready at all times."

"ANNA!"

-0-0-0-

A/N: Be honest—who among you caught the crossover at the start? Show of hands, please!

Had this been a full-story, I would have expanded more on the role-reversal between Scott and Caitlin. That is, one of the main highlights of Kat's portrayal in canon is she's the eye-candy. Well, here, with Scott blinded for most of the story, it's Kat's turn to feast her eyes on a meaty Cyclops.

And the lady doth like-eth what she sees-eth.

A little love thrown in Gen13's direction, anyone? This team was basically my Marvel's Runaways—whose first two iterations I absolutely adore—before I found Marvel's Runaways. I still remember accidentally stumbling on Jim Lee's original run and getting hooked. I remember thinking "damn, Jean is hot!" then realized I was reading the wrong comic book. Then, I continued reading it for reasons a young lad would. What can I say? Caitlin Fairchild stole my heart.

Baser instincts aside, while the series did start out as unapologetic eye-candy, I was pleasantly surprised at how the plot—and the cast—developed. The turning point that completely sold the series for me, was when Alex Fairchild died. The way Caitlin handled it gutted me, and I could only admire her character more for that.

Gail Simone's subversive modernization of the series was also entertainingly good, and I recommend picking it up If you can. Though, personally, I feel the quality dropped off a cliff when the cast jumped into the future. It just sort-of spiraled downwards from there—like big brains behind the book couldn't concoct a coherent continuation. I still followed it, but I really wished Gen13 had more adventures in the present time.

Then, the New 52 happened and—poof. No more Caitlin Fairchild. No more Grunge and Roxy. No more strange, shipperish-but-not-really Burnout and Rainmaker.

Anyway, enough of me rambling over a long-dead, possibly-forgotten franchise, and back to this fic.

No specific timeline for this one. Initially, I wanted to use the pre-Worldstorm Gen13, since they actually had a home base there and Caitlin comes across more confident, but Gail Simone's run started with a younger cast and a better recurring villain group. So I just decided to mix the two versions together, tell canon and continuity to shove it up where the sun don't shine, and this was the result.

And yes, Caitlin's fear of the future are direct allusions to how both runs ended. The first, a heartbreak; the latter, too bittersweet.

Nothing much else to say. This definitely became far longer than it should have, and I've been typing for close to five hours now. Damn.

As always, if you liked what you've just read and/or want to see more, please drop a review! And if you want to pick this story idea up, please do so and give me something to read, too! Until the next one, paalam!