You can find the disclaimer on the first page…where you in theory started reading this….

So things are progressing nicely.  I have this and the next story all planned out…muhahahahahahaha. 

Thanks to my reviewers Samm16, bad-girl4 and treacle-antlers for stroking my ego and encouraging me to continue.

Two

Curiosity killed the cat; but as Kitty Pryde watched the former Acolyte Pitor hunch over his sketchbook she sincerely hoped it wouldn't this particular time.  She was dying to know just what it was that the quiet Russian was so intent on.  "What ya drawing?" she tapped him softly on the shoulder not wanting to surprise him.

Even with her care his deep blue eyes looked troubled as he hid the paper in his hands, "It is nothing important."

"You like be totally hiding it if it was nothing," the brunette put her hands on her hips and stared at Pitor until he blushed.

Slowly he uncovered the sketch so that the girl could see.  Kitty's breath caught in her throat-she had never thought that the large man would be capable of such beauty. It was a portrait of Cypher.  Each pencil stroke was delicate and precise lending the face a vulnerability that it owner hardly ever showed-except perhaps through Pitor's eyes.  Kitty could honestly say she hadn't thought of Asli as beautiful until now. 

"Wow…" Kitty was for once without words.  Like the others she had seen how close the large Russian and wiry hacker were-but she had assumed it was because they felt left out with the X-Men.  But the proof was right there in front of her-there was more to their silent, easy camaraderie than anyone knew-at least for Pitor there was.

Concern shadowed Pitor's even features; making it obvious that he showed his art to few, "You like it?"

Settling for a quick nod instead of words Kitty tried to form a sentence that would express just how talented she thought he was. Instead she just blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "She's like totally beautiful to you."

"Yes."

Kitty let out a deep sigh; her heart fluttering at the look of naked adoration on the Russian's face-she had seen that look on a man's face before.  It was the look of a man falling in love so fast he hadn't even noticed it.  It appealed to the hopeless romantic underneath the Valley girl-instantly convincing her that it was up to her to see Pitor's wishes into reality.  "If you like her why don't you just like ask Asli out?"

"It is complicated." Pitor didn't hide his surprise at Kitty's bold question, "I helped bring her to Magneto…Put her in a position that caused her pain."

"Petey," Kitty rolled her eyes and sighed again-why did men have to make things so difficult? "You didn't have much choice about it.  Asli's a smart girl-I doubt she'd even be your friend if she really blamed you for that."

He shook his large head guiltily not wanting to see reason and turned away from the young girl.  Unwilling to give up that easily Kitty moved and stood directly in front of Pitor, "Now like listen up.  When Lance and I were together we were like on totally different sides…and even though we sometimes had to fight against each other it didn't mean we like didn't care or anything-it was just business.  You know like the Godfather." With these words Kitty realized just how much she had missed Avalanche since their breakup. "If you don't at least admit to Asli that you totally dig her-how can you expect her to give you chance?"

"What if there is no chance?" Pitor's eyes were dark and serious, "There is not always a happy ending little Kat."

Hands on her hips Kitty was a tiny, unstoppable force.  "You won't know unless you ask her."

Pitor gazed at the picture in his hands and decided to speak his mind to Cypher at long last.

************

Hand to her mouth Asli listened at the rec room door her heart beating in her throat as Pitor bared his soul to Kitty. 

"She's like totally beautiful to you."

"Yes."

Panic spread through Asli like a forest fire-she had known from the beginning that there was some chemistry between herself and the Russian strong man.  Pitor's innocence inspired an overwhelming desire in Asli to protect him at any cost.  It was that urge that made keeping his sister safe by double crossing Magneto seem like a priority instead of folly.

Yes, she felt some affection towards Pitor-his presence was steadying-he made Asli feel comfortable and safe.  Pitor was solid; not just his mass but his quietness, intelligence he was the whole package.  He was someone that Asli could discuss literature with-they often would sit in silence together reading the same book so that they could debate its strengths and weaknesses.  But was all of that enough?

Would that gentle affection be worth dropping all of her shields? Would Pitor still care if he knew what lay underneath the façade Asli affected so that no one would see the monster Weapon X had created.  If anyone knew what she had done to stay alive-the pieces of her soul that she had destroyed to make each day possible.  Asli shuddered and tried to repress all thoughts about her past with the determination born of need-remembering made it all real. 

"Asli?"

Jumping a mile the hacker faced Rogue who had an interested eyebrow raised at Asli's eavesdropping.  "Shh!" The hacker hissed waving a hand to silence the Goth.

"What are ya'll doin? Is that Kitty and Pitor?" The younger girl tried to see into the Rec room.

Making a spilt second decision Asli pulled Rogue towards the kitchen by her heavily covered arm-she was not in the mood to have to face Pitor with Kitty by his side ready to back up his romantic intentions.  As soon as they passed over the threshold Rogue wrestled her arm back, "What the hell was that for?"

"Kitty has convinced Pitor to ask me out." Asli groaned.

"About time." Rogue snorted trying to understand the raw panic on the other girl's face-she thought it would be natural for the two Acolytes to get together.

Asli paced the tiles in an attempt to calm her nerves, "I can't date Pitor."

"Why not?" Rogue shook her head trying hard to understand; in the few weeks since Asli's defection the girls had begun a tentative friendship, "Don't ya like him?"

Hanging her head Asli scrubbed a hand through her short hair; "That's not the point Rogue. I can't get close to him like that.  It's too dangerous."

"You're preachin' to the choir Sugah," Rogue drawled with a quick glance at her gloved hands, "But it ain't like with me.  Ya'll could have a relationship."

Not wanting to fight Asli let her mask drop and let the southerner see just how empty she was, "No Rogue. I can't.  Do you think he would care if he knew what I really am?"

Rogue took it all in quietly-she'd seen that look before but it usually belonged to hardened souls-Logan had it when he didn't think people were looking, so did Mystique, Colonel Fury and Sabertooth.  It saddened Rogue to see that coldness in someone so young.  "That's the most I've heard you say about your past."

"It's not exactly polite dinner conversation," Asli shrugged pulling the layers of her constructed personality around her like a shield more for Rogue's benefit than her own, "I'm not a whole person, it would be unfair…Pitor deserves better than me."

"So what ya'll are tellin' me is that you are gonna break the heart of a nice guy who worships the ground you walk on?" Rogue shook her head but could see Asli's logic-though it was certain no one else would.

Asli offered the Goth a smile smile-Rogue had seen her real face and hadn't run-maybe the urge to trust her wasn't misplaced.  "If he's lucky, yes I will."