X-Men aren't mine. duh
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Touch stepped outside the mansion and quietly placed a cigarette between his lips. He had never liked smoking, but the addiction that was burned into this body caused him to feel the urge in times of high stress. This was one of them.
"Touch, wait!" Dinah called from behind him. He knew that talking to her would make him feel better, but at the same time, had no desire to drag her into such conflicts as he had been through. Whipping his trench coat behind him, Touch moved with silently around the corner, edging his way up the side of the building and resting on the roof. His fighting instincts drew himself towards these stealthy methods of lurking about, but this was one of the few times he'd used them to avoid a friend. one of the many things he'd learned is that friends are a rare commodity. still.
"Touch, please."
Her voice echoed in his mind. He withdrew from his perch and gently landed himself on the ground behind her without a sound.
"What?" Touch said coldly, though only because it was in his nature to do so. She was startled, but a look of calm swept away her frightened expression as her eyes locked onto his familiar features. It had only been a few weeks since they'd met, and yet. she pulled her attention back to him.
"Please don't run off. Jack didn't mean anything by what he said. It's only tha-"
"I've heard enough of excuses for his actions." Touch stated. "There is no reasoning the hatred for how he treats me. Talking to you infuriates him simply because I was in the same room where his love interest rests. Is it any fault of mine that she is your roommate?" Dinah sighed. the same sigh she did quite often in conversation with Touch. Anytime she could get more than five words out of him, this is how they had to come out. He was such a logical person that arguing with him was nearly impossible. She hated that frozen look though, and reaching up, let her fingertips press against his cheek. Her fingers were like fire, softening his stone gaze and melting his icy demeanor.
It was his turn to sigh. She took his arm and led him away from the entrance, walking him towards a pond located towards the edge of the compound. Sitting on the grass, she had to tug on his arm for him to get the hint.
"You shouldn't be here," Touch commented, thinking back to the previous argument.
"I chose to come here."
"It doesn't mean you should have."
"I did it because I wanted to," she hastily stated, catching both of them off guard. "What I mean is," Dinah backed her train of thought up, "Rebecca doesn't mind. She doesn't think we should choose sides."
"But there are sides," Touch said, looking down at the pond.
"Will you stop arguing and listen to me!" Dinah commanded, almost yelling but only doing so to get his attention. "I'm going to sit here with you, and I'm going to tell you that this anger that Jack has will pass. I'm going to tell you that I came out here not because I wanted some fresh air, but to help you. And I'm going to convince you that, and nothing else." Touch was shocked. Not just by her voice, but by her words. She quickly saw the impact of what she had said, and lay her palm against his hand. They stayed like that for a long time. just allowing the anger and the hatred to slip away from them.
A twig snapped behind them. Touch rolled onto his feet and was half way at his target before he caught himself. "Pip - you should know better than that."
"I figured if I might be sneaking up on the master himself, I might just be working my way up the ladder," Pip joked. His face before slightly more serious as he leaned in towards Touch, whispering, "Don't let him get to ya. different is just different."
"I'm tired of being the different one," Touch said with a harshness that was uncalled for. He strode across the field, silently working his way back into the building.
Pip shook his head. "It's not an easy shell to crack there," Dinah commented, seeing how disappointed he was in his own efforts to help the situation. This caused Pip to smirk.
"Some of us are havin' an easier time than others though," he said with a wink. She smiled, but before she could say a word, he said, "My lips are sealed." She smiled even more. Pip was good like that.
center* * */center
Touch entered the mansion, and no sooner then he had taken a few steps, Jack was there. Though startled, Touch showed no sense of fear or shock of any kind.
"I'm tired of this," Jack started. "No one asked you to be around, and you aren't welcome here as is. this is a refuge for mutants or a home for X- Men. you've worn out your refuge, now go." Touch didn't blink for a second. His intense brown eyes pierced into Osiris, letting his mind release for a moment, than connect back into himself. How a mishap with roommates had reached this point, he'd never know. Though there was clearly no turning back.
"Danger Room," Touch said with no emotion, no feeling. He wanted this rivalry to continue even less than Jack did. It was time to end it.
--------------------
Touch stepped outside the mansion and quietly placed a cigarette between his lips. He had never liked smoking, but the addiction that was burned into this body caused him to feel the urge in times of high stress. This was one of them.
"Touch, wait!" Dinah called from behind him. He knew that talking to her would make him feel better, but at the same time, had no desire to drag her into such conflicts as he had been through. Whipping his trench coat behind him, Touch moved with silently around the corner, edging his way up the side of the building and resting on the roof. His fighting instincts drew himself towards these stealthy methods of lurking about, but this was one of the few times he'd used them to avoid a friend. one of the many things he'd learned is that friends are a rare commodity. still.
"Touch, please."
Her voice echoed in his mind. He withdrew from his perch and gently landed himself on the ground behind her without a sound.
"What?" Touch said coldly, though only because it was in his nature to do so. She was startled, but a look of calm swept away her frightened expression as her eyes locked onto his familiar features. It had only been a few weeks since they'd met, and yet. she pulled her attention back to him.
"Please don't run off. Jack didn't mean anything by what he said. It's only tha-"
"I've heard enough of excuses for his actions." Touch stated. "There is no reasoning the hatred for how he treats me. Talking to you infuriates him simply because I was in the same room where his love interest rests. Is it any fault of mine that she is your roommate?" Dinah sighed. the same sigh she did quite often in conversation with Touch. Anytime she could get more than five words out of him, this is how they had to come out. He was such a logical person that arguing with him was nearly impossible. She hated that frozen look though, and reaching up, let her fingertips press against his cheek. Her fingers were like fire, softening his stone gaze and melting his icy demeanor.
It was his turn to sigh. She took his arm and led him away from the entrance, walking him towards a pond located towards the edge of the compound. Sitting on the grass, she had to tug on his arm for him to get the hint.
"You shouldn't be here," Touch commented, thinking back to the previous argument.
"I chose to come here."
"It doesn't mean you should have."
"I did it because I wanted to," she hastily stated, catching both of them off guard. "What I mean is," Dinah backed her train of thought up, "Rebecca doesn't mind. She doesn't think we should choose sides."
"But there are sides," Touch said, looking down at the pond.
"Will you stop arguing and listen to me!" Dinah commanded, almost yelling but only doing so to get his attention. "I'm going to sit here with you, and I'm going to tell you that this anger that Jack has will pass. I'm going to tell you that I came out here not because I wanted some fresh air, but to help you. And I'm going to convince you that, and nothing else." Touch was shocked. Not just by her voice, but by her words. She quickly saw the impact of what she had said, and lay her palm against his hand. They stayed like that for a long time. just allowing the anger and the hatred to slip away from them.
A twig snapped behind them. Touch rolled onto his feet and was half way at his target before he caught himself. "Pip - you should know better than that."
"I figured if I might be sneaking up on the master himself, I might just be working my way up the ladder," Pip joked. His face before slightly more serious as he leaned in towards Touch, whispering, "Don't let him get to ya. different is just different."
"I'm tired of being the different one," Touch said with a harshness that was uncalled for. He strode across the field, silently working his way back into the building.
Pip shook his head. "It's not an easy shell to crack there," Dinah commented, seeing how disappointed he was in his own efforts to help the situation. This caused Pip to smirk.
"Some of us are havin' an easier time than others though," he said with a wink. She smiled, but before she could say a word, he said, "My lips are sealed." She smiled even more. Pip was good like that.
center* * */center
Touch entered the mansion, and no sooner then he had taken a few steps, Jack was there. Though startled, Touch showed no sense of fear or shock of any kind.
"I'm tired of this," Jack started. "No one asked you to be around, and you aren't welcome here as is. this is a refuge for mutants or a home for X- Men. you've worn out your refuge, now go." Touch didn't blink for a second. His intense brown eyes pierced into Osiris, letting his mind release for a moment, than connect back into himself. How a mishap with roommates had reached this point, he'd never know. Though there was clearly no turning back.
"Danger Room," Touch said with no emotion, no feeling. He wanted this rivalry to continue even less than Jack did. It was time to end it.