I say this a lot but this is another chapter I couldn't wait to get to.

Year Four: Rule-Enforcers on Paper

Ashton: I'm not even there but I can tell your cadets are scared of you.

Xavier: What?

Xavier: Did Brody tell you?

Ashton: You're broody and depressed, top of Weight Class A, Vander's bitch, and past, present, and Camp survivor past/present/future.

Ashton: And your sister is objectively hotter than you.

Ashton: And your mother is an agent who's an Academy alum.

Ashton: Oh, and your dad is Captain America.

Ashton: Dude, you have a reputation. Even without all of those above, you're pretty unapproachable. Only a moron would piss you off and break your rules.

Xavier: You haven't met my cadets.

Ashton: You gotta give them a reason not only to fear you but trust you. Come on, Rogers, you're unapproachable but likeable.

-o-

SHIELD Academy - 10:24 AM

Xavier doesn't know the last time he slept, but he can attest to being awake for the majority of Camp. On the last day, he couldn't finally wait to be returning to campus. Forget his dorm, his friends, and the apparent safety of campus, it's to get this stupid godforsaken beard on his face.

Xavier isn't a beard man. He isn't one for facial hair. He can hear Apollo laughing at him in the back of his mind all the way from the deep crypts of Asgard.

And Sci-Tech seemed to have known that.

Immediately after Operations littered glitter in Sci-Tech's vents, crevices, labs, and all their spaces, the nerds retaliated big time. At first, snagging all the razors and electric shavers didn't seem like such a big deal. But when facial hair, stubble, leg hair, and armpit hair started itching because of the lingering glitter and just being plain bothersome, they knew they were suffering.

And boy they were suffering for weeks. And Xavier was the centre for all his cadets complaining. His bearded bunch. He couldn't even look in the mirror for weeks because he hated what he saw. Apollo's laugh grew louder in his head; oddly comforting.

He doesn't care. He's never growing a beard for the rest of his life. Apollo can keep the look.

Xavier knew he was in for a show when he would arrive on campus with a beard. He already heard cadets clamouring at the flood of beards and assortment of facial hair.

He didn't have to search for his friends who waited to greet him because he could hear Merida, James, and Brody hollering laughter and taking pictures. Angela and Daniel stare blankly before snickering and reaching to touch it as if it was a pet. Orchid is nearly crying as she hugs him.

"I always wondered what you would look like with one," Angela says, snapping a picture before immediately texting it and making it Xavier's new contact photo.

"I wondered if it'd be blond or brown," Daniel adds. Xavier's beard was browner but had the blond highlights to go with his hair and brows (as a cadet pointed out to cheer him up during the weeks at Camp).

"Damn, I should've gone this year," Brody says, patting Xavier's shoulder.

"Thank god I wasn't there!" James exclaims. Xavier can't even be mad at him because he wished James was there to suffer with him. "Apollo would've mocked me in my head."

"You look beautiful, bestie," Orchid says, parting from Xavier, "thank you, Jesus."

"Stark likes it," Angela says, showing Xavier the text conversation. "Mom and Dad are asking if you're okay."

"I'm not talking about it," Xavier says as he heads back to his dorm.

-o-

Hudson Residence - 10:30 AM

Xavier doesn't even know how to react when he comes back to his floor and it smells like burnt popcorn, but his cadets look at him as if he's risen from the dead as he exits the elevator and enters their common area between the two hallways of dorms. Maybe it's the beard, maybe it's the grouchy and sleep-deprived face. Maybe it's Ashton's words saying his cadets fear him.

They look at him as if he'll snap if they make one move.

"Hey guys," Xavier greets, trying to sound calm, "if the floor still smells like popcorn by the time I'm done shaving, you're all going to camp with me next year."

Xavier didn't think it sounded so bad but his floor scatters. He smiles a bit to himself as he walks to his dorm.

Xavier closes and locks the door behind him, tossing his bag to the side before flopping on his bed that he missed so, so much.

-o-

Wakanda Palace - 14:44 PM

"Iqadi…" Kili sings as she approaches her in her father's office.

Iqadi looks up from her paperwork to see Kili skipping inside, sitting down across from her. A sweet smile paints her face as she sits with one leg crossed over the other.

"Can you come to my school?" Kili asks.

"What for?" Iqadi wonders. If it was a diplomacy or policy matter, her father or her attendant would've told her. If Kili had an issue, she'd approach her parents or even Imanu. Unless… "What did you do?"

"I have a parent-teacher meeting later tonight and didn't tell my parents."

"They're still here, aren't they?"

Kili squirms a bit in her seat. "I got in trouble for something and don't want them to know."

As she expected.

Iqadi hesitates. She isn't sure if she's abusing her power, but she doesn't see her Princess title being tossed into question. It's not like Kili is asking for the constitutional monarchy to lay its iron fist on her school (at least, not yet). It might help coax a punishment or cause a scandal, but Iqadi has a feeling Kili's more so asking Iqadi as a younger sister to her older one.

"I'll go," Iqadi states firmly, "but I cannot promise I will keep it to myself. Deal?"

Kili groans. "Not really, but fine."

-o-

Bashenga High School - 16:45 PM

"As delighted as I am to see you, Princess Iqadi, I requested the presence of Kili's parents," Kili's teacher tells her when they met in her classroom.

Iqadi likes the appearance of the classroom. A bright laboratory room with counters for students and high-grade equipment laced the walls and stored in cupboards. She can imagine all the lecturers and lessons she'd listen to and review later. Her friends in America would think she's crazy for wanting standard education, but she thinks it'd be fun. It's times like this when she wishes she went to a normal school around here.

"I'm aware," Iqadi responds, having expected that statement, "but her parents are preoccupied with classified royal protocol associated with my husband, her brother."

Iqadi smiles with only her lips and Kili nods beside her. For all Iqadi knows, Imanu is reviewing policies in the library and his parents are resting at home. All parties unaware of their lie.

If there was ever a point where Iqadi's status helped her out, this moment would be it.

"Kili must have told you why I called her parents today," her teacher continues.

"Do refresh my memory," Iqadi says with a cheeky grin. Kili didn't say a word.

"Kili has been showing up late to class every morning for two weeks with a Starbucks."

Iqadi stares at the teacher with a straight face despite wanting to laugh so loud and hard. She thought Kili burned down a lab or started a radical protest in the schoolyard.

"I need my caffeine," Kili says.

"You're fourteen," her teacher says.

"My old school didn't have a Starbucks."

"You were also ten at the time."

"Ageist."

"Kili!" Iqadi interrupts sharply yet calmly. She stands between the two ladies. "Do not address your teacher like that. Showing up late with Starbucks isn't appropriate. You will be leaving the house earlier if you want a coffee."

"But I don't want to wake up earlier," Kili groans.

Iqadi crosses her arms. "You're either sleeping or getting Starbucks, not both." Iqadi looks at Kili's teacher. "I will be sure to inform Mr. and Mrs. Luyano about Kili's actions and how I handled them."

After farewells and Kili just standing there until Iqadi holds her back and leads her out. They walk down the hallway in tandem silence. Teachers and other students wave excitedly and chat for a bit … or well into the evening.

"I also asked you so that if you tell my parents and Imanu, they might take it easier," Kili explains once they're outside. "Imanu loves you too much and my parents highly respect you."

Iqadi nods slowly, putting a hand on Kili's shoulder. "This remains between us. Do that again and I will inform your parents and Imanu."

"Really?" Kili asks surprised. "Princess Rule-Enforcer is letting this go?"

"Princess what?"

" … nothing."

Iqadi doesn't bother asking about that. Instead, she crouches to be at Kili's height.

"I've disobeyed many rules, rules you don't even know about."

She winks at Kili before standing straight again. Little does Kili or anyone know one of the rules she broke led to her marriage. A rule she doesn't regret disobeying one bit.

"Can we get Starbucks on the way back?"

Iqadi smiles. "Of course."

"They have a new saffron frappe you'd like."

"We'll get those. We'll get Imanu a cake pop too so he doesn't say anything."

-o-

Hudson Residence - 12:13 PM

Xavier awakes, not even sure how long it's been. He doesn't even remember falling asleep.

Ashton's texts pop into his mind and he has flashes of his outburst at Camp when all the Operations cadets, including himself, were being frustrated with not being able to shave. Sci-Tech even managed to snag all their hair ties so nobody could tie their hair up, and Camp got oddly hot this year.

So he was stuck with a stupid and itchy beard, whining cadets, and blistering heat.

Xavier gets out of bed and walks into his bathroom, glad he doesn't have to share his space with the cadets on his floor since he has a single suite. He turns on the light and seeing his reflection makes him jump.

For a moment, he forgot about the beard and he's avoided looking at his face for all of Camp. Xavier takes his phone out of his pocket and looks at the pictures his friends sent of his return to the Academy. It's not terrible, but he's never growing one again for the sake of growing one.

After he shaves and leaves his dorm, it's quiet and spotless. He walks out and sees his cadets sitting in the common living space and kitchen. Their quiet murmurs turn to silence and they stare at him as if he's the grim reaper.

"I'm not even there but I can tell your cadets are scared of you. You're pretty unapproachable. Only a moron would piss you off and break your rules.

You gotta give them a reason not only to fear you but trust you. Come on, Rogers, you're unapproachable but likeable."

"Okay," Xavier starts, "I'm sorry for the outburst. Camp was a lot as it usually is but that's not an excuse. I'm supposed to do a round of inspections since Camp time is when cadets think they can fuck around, especially since I wasn't here, but I'm tired and can't notice the popcorn scent anymore so let's say I did it and you all passed. Okay, new ground rule."

Xavier takes out his phone and sends a text. Moments later, all the cadets' phones go off and they look.

"That's our floor group chat, as you should already know," Xavier says. "If I text you that the vending machine is broken, then that means I'm doing inspections on my own. If I say the vending machine is being refilled, Vander's doing them. If I tell someone to get their old Tupperware out of the communal fridge, then we're both doing inspections. I'll text you a day in advance and it's up to you to get your shit together. Don't tell anyone shit or else. Okay? You don't want documentation and I don't want to fill it out."

Xavier looks at his boys and they all nod, saluting.

Xavier didn't expect that reaction but he grins a little. "Good. Effective immediately."