It had been three days since Crystal joined the mansion. Since then, she had spent a large portion of her time studying and bonding with the professor. He had been focused on furthering her academic knowledge and giving her history lessons on mutants. It would have been easier if Peter wasn't trying to insert himself into her lessons. He took great joy in telling her how he'd been apart of the Paris peace encores. Hank had sent him away on more than one occasion, muttering something about being 'barely there'. In between this, the professor had been fending off Crystal's constant questions about his life. She wasn't even sure about some of the things she was asking him, but they were things she was picking up from the other inhabitants of the mansion. She had always known that she lived in close proximity to a large number of mutants in the facility, but this was different. The people here cared about each other. It was more than a school, it was a family that cared for and protected each other.
This particular morning, as she looked out the window, she could see Peter throwing a ball back and forth to himself, making her smile. They hadn't spoken privately since their trip out, but Crystal was sure that there was some tension between them that needed to be addressed. Her main concern was that she had upset him due to her lack of understanding at the mall. When she had been studying, she caught how he looked at her. Staring as if she were some enigma for him to solve. She didn't know whether to be flattered or nervous, but she brimmed with excitement whenever their eyes met.
'Crystal, I don't think you've heard a word I've just said.'
She looked up at her father and apologised. She knew she was lucky to have these sessions and appreciated that he was trying desperately to build a relationship with her.
He saw what she was looking at and smiled. 'Maybe you have been cooped up too long. I want you to go outside and work on your earth manipulation, particularly your botanopathy. There is a packet of seeds on my desk. See if you can make one grow.' He spoke with confidence as if he trusted that she would be able to do it.
Excited to be stretching her legs, she grabbed the seeds and bolted downstairs. As soon as she was outside, the realisation that she didn't know what she was doing hit her. She had no clue how to make these seeds grow. Why would she? Stryker couldn't use it as a weapon. If this power was given to her by his gene slicing, it was bound to be an accident. She took the seeds to the pergola that she had sat under on her first day. It was barren, and she had gathered from the novels she'd been reading that it should be covered in flowers. She tipped the seeds around it and used her force to cover them with soil. She created water from the moisture in the air and looked at the piles of earth. She should have known it wouldn't be that easy.
She glanced up to the professor's window and was sure he was watching her with interest. She stepped away from the pergola and held her hand the same way she did to control the elements. She was frustrated. She didn't know what she was doing. She pushed her hands forward, hoping the force she created would work. When she opened her eyes, the pergola was on fire. She quickly stifled it out and tried again.
After repeating this event five times, she was infuriated and let out a scream of anger. That, already, familiar breeze crossed her cheek.
'You're thinking about it too much. You need to relax. It will happen if you find a way to calm yourself. Mind if I help?'
'Well I'm not going to be able to do it anyway, but you're welcome to try'. The defeat in Crystal's voice was undeniable.
She wasn't expecting what came next. Peter came and stood behind her, pulling her body to his to stand her sideways facing the charred pergola and seeds. His right arm was wrapped around her waist, and his left arm lifted hers. She instinctively placed her right arm over his.
'Relax. Focus on what you really want. Clear your head and picture the result.' He was whispering in her ear, while gently placing a loose tendril off her face.
'Easier said than done' Crystal's mind was far from clear. 'I spent my life in captivity. I've found out that my mother isn't human and was tortured. When I'm finally rescued, it's by my father who didn't know I'd been created. It's too much. I can't deal with it all. And now I'm told that Stryker completed experiments on me to create a weapon. Instead of suppressing these powers, I'm being encouraged to make them stronger. I don't know what I'm doing. On top of all this, you're confusing me. You look like you're trying to decide if you want me to stay or leave and I can't figure out why.' She could feel the panic in her voice and the tears building in her eyes. She just hoped she didn't create another natural disaster as the emotions bursting inside her swelled up.
'Trust me, that's not what I'm thinking at all. And as for the professor, he knows that if you develop your mutation, you'll be stronger and be able to protect yourself if you choose to leave.'
'I don't want to have to protect myself. I want a normal life with normal problems. I want to explore the world, fall in love...'
She was cut off by Peter, pressing his lips against her urgently. It was over as quickly as it had begun, but it caught her completely off guard.
'Is your head clear now?' He was teasing her, playing with the loose tendril of her hair again. Curling it around his fingers. 'Relax your body and focus on what you want'.
She closed her eyes and visualised the rose wrapping itself around the beams. As much as she tried to concentrate, the image morphed and became intertwined with the image of Peter's hands running through her hair. She tried to focus on the flowers and Peter simultaneously when he whispered in her ear, 'open your eyes'.
She glanced at the mounts of earth and to her surprise saw one single rose wrapped around the lowest beam. She smiled when she noticed the uniqueness of her creation. She wasn't the only one surprised. 'How did you make it silver?'
'I focused on what I really wanted.' As the last words left her lips, she felt Peter twist her body to face him. It was a swift movement, but it was still so soft. His hands ran slowly through her hand like she'd pictured it, as he gently pulled her face towards his. This kiss was nothing like the first. There was no urgency now. Crystal felt her heart pounding in her chest as her lips parted slightly, allowing Peter to kiss her deeper. She melted into his arms and felt her very core ignite with the passion he was infusing within her. As he reluctantly pulled away, he stroked the side of her face. She looked into his eyes and knew she had no intention of leaving the mansion now.
Peter had lost count of how many times the professor had told him to think before he acted. Now he was stood under the professor's window kissing his daughter. He knew he wasn't going to be able to quickly talk his way out of this one. But, at the same time, he didn't care. Crystal was a vision, even in her anger. She has been submissive and moulded to his body when he imitated the kiss, but swiftly responded to him with a fiery passion. As he pulled away, their eyes met. They didn't need to say anything to each other, their feelings were clear. In just three days, she had mesmerised him and made herself an intrinsical part of his life.
He could have stayed in that moment, taking in her beauty, the blush in her cheeks, her sparkling eyes, but at that moment, he was summoned. 'Peter might we have a word'. Damn it!
'I've got to go, believe me, I don't want to. I'll catch you later.' He moved into a high-speed mode, and it allowed him to take in her beauty one last time before knocking on the professor's door. 'You wanted to see me' he muttered. This wasn't going to be good.
'So, she's decided to stay.' It wasn't a question. It was a clear statement.
'She didn't say.' It was true, although he genuinely hoped she wouldn't leave now.
'She's going to stay. I believe she will be a great addition to our team. She is a powerful mutant, and when she has been trained, very few will be able to stop her. That's why I need you.'
Peter shot the professor a quizzical look. He didn't need to voice his question. 'She responds well to you. She trusts you. I want you to help train and develop her but keep her grounded. Training her myself would possibly hinder our relationship'.
During the conversation, Peter couldn't help but focus on the tender moment he and Crystal shared, flashes of the memory crossed his mind. The professor typically couldn't follow Peter's train of thought, but his mind wasn't being as erratic as usual.
'That did not escape my attention. While I do not normally approve of relationships on-site, I have to accept that some of you are adults now. I believe you and Crystal are a good match, you balance each other out well. But, I do wish to point out that Crystal is very vulnerable. She does not have a full understanding of the outside world. Be gentle with her emotions, she does not have control of them or her powers yet.' The sternness in his voice was slightly intimidating.
'Is that your version of a fatherly talk professor? It's a little more protective than I was expecting.' Peter has clearly hit a nerve. Crystal was one of the few chinks in the professor's usually impenetrable amour. 'She's technically your daughter. How is that going to work in the long term?' He didn't want to pry, but he wanted to know what the professor was considering as Crystal's best interest.
'That will be a relationship that builds over time.' The tone in his voice told Peter the conversation was over. 'Now, I'm sure you've things to see to.'
It was a colder dismissal than what Peter had come to expect from the man he'd known since he was a teenager. Maybe he had finally pried too much. He knew he needed to smooth the situation slightly. 'Professor, I'll take care of her. You don't need to worry.'
Xavier sensed the conviction in Peter's voice and softened his expression, 'Thank you, Peter.'