Jean had been giving Jolie lessons and exercises for her mind to work themselves around for weeks now. Still, nothing had been accomplished. She could now successfully block Jean when she tried to read into her mind, but certainly not the Professor, and she was no closer to knowing who her parents were. She found the lessons frustrating and boring, but Jean always praised her, telling her how much she was accomplishing.
Scott had visited a few times, she knew his reason was probably more for Jean than an excuse to see her. But she knew she caught his eyes beneath those dark shades more than once whenever he did visit. She had already caught him staring at the feather she had given him; she knew that it was working.
Jolie cleared her thoughts as she stood inside the empty hallway. She was bored, she had already done the silly exercises Jean had given her, and now the rest of her day was empty. She looked toward the large bay windows that shed light into the hallway. She wanted to go outside very suddenly, the snow hadn't stopped for days now, but she couldn't stay in this mansion for much longer. It made her feel old, the way all of the walls, paintings, and books in the place seemed historical or just ancient.
She felt the strange prickling sensation that she was being watched, she turned to see Scott sitting in the same place he had been when she had caught him with her feather. His head jolted to the side quickly, as if to suggest he had merely been watching TV the whole time, even thought the television's screen was completely black.
She smiled wickedly and pulled her pocket knife out. Grabbing the back of her sweater she cut two holes in it. She put the knife away and flexed her shoulders tentatively, waiting for the sharp pain in her back to come, she grimaced slightly but soon there were two budding wings poking out of her sweater. She glanced at Scott again, who was still pretending not to be looking at her, and walked out the front doors.
Scott sat there a moment longer; he had a strong urge to follow. He pulled the white feather out of his front pocket and felt the urge grow stronger. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was suspicious of the girl, but that small voice was overpowered by his desire to follow. He quickly got up from the leather couch, grabbed his jacket and exited out of the door.
Jolie unfurled her wings completely, she had to admit she was always quite taken by them. It was the only thing that made being a mutant okay for her, she was just grateful they were removable. She was able to hide her most prominent power, a gift not given to many mutants. She jumped into the air and let her wings catch her, holding her for a minute until she pumped them powerfully, propelling her further into the air.
The snow crystals stung her face as she went higher and faster, in less than five minutes she was nearly frozen to death, but she didn't mind. She felt like she was free in the air, that just for a moment none of these people mattered, not Xavier, not Nickolas, no one. She looked down toward the ground to see a small black dot against the white of the snow. We'll, almost no one. She smiled and tilted her wings so that she dove down again.
She quickly reached the ground, only pulling up at the last second to let her wings catch the air and lower her safely to the ground. She let some of her energy charge the air, just enough to make the hair on the back of Scott's neck stand straight, she smiled innocently, as if she were surprised to see him.
"Oh, hey Scott, nice to see you." She shivered slightly, and rubbed her arms together to make herself warmer.
"It's a little cold out here for flying, isn't it?" He asked scratching the back of his neck.
"Oh yea," She smiled, even she couldn't hide that her lips were turning blue. "It's freezing!"
"Here," Scott pulled his winter coat off. "Take my jacket."
Jolie smiled a bit, knowing they wouldn't fit over her wings, but she didn't think Scott realized that. She flexed her shoulders until her wings fell off and she let Scott put the jacket around her shoulders.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to..." Scott didn't quite know how to word it; he looked down at the ground where the snow was melting from the feathers burning. .
Jolie shook her head. "Don't worry about it; your jacket is much warmer, thank you." She smiled and zipped the coat up, it was still plenty warm from when Scott was wearing it, but Jolie felt a little guilty because it was now apparent that Scott was freezing.
"I never see you around much? Why is that?" She asked playfully, trying to keep his attention focused on her and not the cold.
"I, uh...I hang out with Jean a lot, she's kinda my, uh..." Scott stammered, struggling to be honest.
Jolie cut him off before he could finish his sentence, she didn't want to hear what she already knew. "Oh I know Jean! She's such a sweetheart, helping me out with my lessons. It's been really useful." She lied, but sounded sincere as she said it.
"Yea, she's really smart." Scott felt his guilt burning through him, but he couldn't bring himself to say any more.
Jolie came close enough that she could smell Scott's aftershave, he was only a little taller than her, but she still found herself looking up to look into his eyes. She combed her fingers through her black hair playfully for a moment, letting him relax when she was so close. Her green eyes tried desperately to search beyond the dark glasses.
"I like your glasses," She reached up and traced the rim. Letting her fingers linger on the side of his face.
Scott jumped a little and grabbed her arm, "Don't! My eyes..."
Jolie just giggled, she pushed a tuft of his hair behind his ear, "Don't be silly, I wasn't going to take them off." She smiled warmly, instead of pulling her arm back down she let it hand gently on his shoulder. He still had his grip on her, but instead of pulling it back down he just held it there, unsure of what he wanted to do. Jolie smiled warmly, she took advantage of his indecision and wrapped her other arm up around his neck. "Do you always hide behind those glasses of yours?"
Scott felt his nerves building up in his stomach, swallowing to clear his throat he struggled. "No...not when I close my eyes," He stammered.
Jolie put her hand back up to his glasses, giving him a warning tug. "Then close them," She whispered. She pushed the glasses up over his forehead and rested them there. She smiled as she saw Scott tightly scrunching his eyes together; she let her fingers play over his lids, brushing them gently. "Relax," There was laughter in her voice now. Scott took a few quick breaths and finally let them out, the tension in his shoulders released and his crinkled brow smoothed out.
Jolie's eyes softened a little, she leaned forward and stood slightly on her toes. She could feel his breath on her own lips, his breathing was shallow, and she smiled slightly. She closed her eyes and her lips just barely brushed up against his, her skin tingled with the contact, her own powers having nothing to do with it now.
"Jolie..." Scott's voice was quiet; Jolie could hear his own struggle. "I can't..."
Jolie held still for a moment, but decided it would be wrong to force him. She tilted her head slightly and kissed him softly on the cheek. "Thanks for coming to see me." She said quickly and pulled away from him, heading inside.
Scott stood for a moment in his own darkness with his glasses still off. He touched the side of his face gingerly with his own fingers, and he finally let out the breath that he had been holding in a big whoosh. He pulled his glasses back down to his face shakily and opened his eyes, surveying the area around him. Jolie's sudden departure left his body colder now that he was exposed to the wind again, he shivered in the snow. He pulled out the white feather and ran it through his fingers for a moment before he turned to go back inside.
Scott had visited a few times, she knew his reason was probably more for Jean than an excuse to see her. But she knew she caught his eyes beneath those dark shades more than once whenever he did visit. She had already caught him staring at the feather she had given him; she knew that it was working.
Jolie cleared her thoughts as she stood inside the empty hallway. She was bored, she had already done the silly exercises Jean had given her, and now the rest of her day was empty. She looked toward the large bay windows that shed light into the hallway. She wanted to go outside very suddenly, the snow hadn't stopped for days now, but she couldn't stay in this mansion for much longer. It made her feel old, the way all of the walls, paintings, and books in the place seemed historical or just ancient.
She felt the strange prickling sensation that she was being watched, she turned to see Scott sitting in the same place he had been when she had caught him with her feather. His head jolted to the side quickly, as if to suggest he had merely been watching TV the whole time, even thought the television's screen was completely black.
She smiled wickedly and pulled her pocket knife out. Grabbing the back of her sweater she cut two holes in it. She put the knife away and flexed her shoulders tentatively, waiting for the sharp pain in her back to come, she grimaced slightly but soon there were two budding wings poking out of her sweater. She glanced at Scott again, who was still pretending not to be looking at her, and walked out the front doors.
Scott sat there a moment longer; he had a strong urge to follow. He pulled the white feather out of his front pocket and felt the urge grow stronger. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was suspicious of the girl, but that small voice was overpowered by his desire to follow. He quickly got up from the leather couch, grabbed his jacket and exited out of the door.
Jolie unfurled her wings completely, she had to admit she was always quite taken by them. It was the only thing that made being a mutant okay for her, she was just grateful they were removable. She was able to hide her most prominent power, a gift not given to many mutants. She jumped into the air and let her wings catch her, holding her for a minute until she pumped them powerfully, propelling her further into the air.
The snow crystals stung her face as she went higher and faster, in less than five minutes she was nearly frozen to death, but she didn't mind. She felt like she was free in the air, that just for a moment none of these people mattered, not Xavier, not Nickolas, no one. She looked down toward the ground to see a small black dot against the white of the snow. We'll, almost no one. She smiled and tilted her wings so that she dove down again.
She quickly reached the ground, only pulling up at the last second to let her wings catch the air and lower her safely to the ground. She let some of her energy charge the air, just enough to make the hair on the back of Scott's neck stand straight, she smiled innocently, as if she were surprised to see him.
"Oh, hey Scott, nice to see you." She shivered slightly, and rubbed her arms together to make herself warmer.
"It's a little cold out here for flying, isn't it?" He asked scratching the back of his neck.
"Oh yea," She smiled, even she couldn't hide that her lips were turning blue. "It's freezing!"
"Here," Scott pulled his winter coat off. "Take my jacket."
Jolie smiled a bit, knowing they wouldn't fit over her wings, but she didn't think Scott realized that. She flexed her shoulders until her wings fell off and she let Scott put the jacket around her shoulders.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to..." Scott didn't quite know how to word it; he looked down at the ground where the snow was melting from the feathers burning. .
Jolie shook her head. "Don't worry about it; your jacket is much warmer, thank you." She smiled and zipped the coat up, it was still plenty warm from when Scott was wearing it, but Jolie felt a little guilty because it was now apparent that Scott was freezing.
"I never see you around much? Why is that?" She asked playfully, trying to keep his attention focused on her and not the cold.
"I, uh...I hang out with Jean a lot, she's kinda my, uh..." Scott stammered, struggling to be honest.
Jolie cut him off before he could finish his sentence, she didn't want to hear what she already knew. "Oh I know Jean! She's such a sweetheart, helping me out with my lessons. It's been really useful." She lied, but sounded sincere as she said it.
"Yea, she's really smart." Scott felt his guilt burning through him, but he couldn't bring himself to say any more.
Jolie came close enough that she could smell Scott's aftershave, he was only a little taller than her, but she still found herself looking up to look into his eyes. She combed her fingers through her black hair playfully for a moment, letting him relax when she was so close. Her green eyes tried desperately to search beyond the dark glasses.
"I like your glasses," She reached up and traced the rim. Letting her fingers linger on the side of his face.
Scott jumped a little and grabbed her arm, "Don't! My eyes..."
Jolie just giggled, she pushed a tuft of his hair behind his ear, "Don't be silly, I wasn't going to take them off." She smiled warmly, instead of pulling her arm back down she let it hand gently on his shoulder. He still had his grip on her, but instead of pulling it back down he just held it there, unsure of what he wanted to do. Jolie smiled warmly, she took advantage of his indecision and wrapped her other arm up around his neck. "Do you always hide behind those glasses of yours?"
Scott felt his nerves building up in his stomach, swallowing to clear his throat he struggled. "No...not when I close my eyes," He stammered.
Jolie put her hand back up to his glasses, giving him a warning tug. "Then close them," She whispered. She pushed the glasses up over his forehead and rested them there. She smiled as she saw Scott tightly scrunching his eyes together; she let her fingers play over his lids, brushing them gently. "Relax," There was laughter in her voice now. Scott took a few quick breaths and finally let them out, the tension in his shoulders released and his crinkled brow smoothed out.
Jolie's eyes softened a little, she leaned forward and stood slightly on her toes. She could feel his breath on her own lips, his breathing was shallow, and she smiled slightly. She closed her eyes and her lips just barely brushed up against his, her skin tingled with the contact, her own powers having nothing to do with it now.
"Jolie..." Scott's voice was quiet; Jolie could hear his own struggle. "I can't..."
Jolie held still for a moment, but decided it would be wrong to force him. She tilted her head slightly and kissed him softly on the cheek. "Thanks for coming to see me." She said quickly and pulled away from him, heading inside.
Scott stood for a moment in his own darkness with his glasses still off. He touched the side of his face gingerly with his own fingers, and he finally let out the breath that he had been holding in a big whoosh. He pulled his glasses back down to his face shakily and opened his eyes, surveying the area around him. Jolie's sudden departure left his body colder now that he was exposed to the wind again, he shivered in the snow. He pulled out the white feather and ran it through his fingers for a moment before he turned to go back inside.