Pietro's #1 Crush
– Chapter 14
(See Chapter 1 for full
disclaimer and legend)
When Lance opened his eyes, he found himself in bed with his arms wrapped tightly around Pietro. The memories of how they came to be in that position were vivid in his mind as well as those of his dream. His eyes were wet and he realized he'd been crying in his sleep, but instead of wiping them away, he buried his face into the soft, white hair of his friend, reveling in the feel of his lover in his arms. He loosened his grip when he felt Pietro move against him, letting the other boy turn to face him.
Pietro grinned before seeming to notice his damp, brown eyes. "You okay, Lance?" The question was simple enough, but Lance couldn't bring himself to speak. He held his lover tighter, suddenly terrified to loose what happiness he'd found in the other boy's arms. "Hey? Man?" Pietro's voice was more insistent this time.
Lance forced a smile on his face. "Just a fucked up dream, man," he whispered, braving to look into the blue orbs that held so many questions for him. 'Why am I being this way? Pietro's going to think I'm a freak!' he looked away, quickly wiping his eyes before looking back with a smile. "So…" he trailed off. "Uh, want some breakfast?"
x-+-x
Lance and Pietro ate their breakfast in silence. Having woken up before either of their housemates they had the kitchen to themselves, yet neither of them braved to talk about what happened between them the night before. It was as if mentioning it would break whatever bond of love had grown between them. Lance absently played with his cereal, wondering what Pietro was thinking at that moment and trying to think of what he could say to make everything alright. The opportunity vanished, however, when Freddy popped his head in the kitchen, the smell of food having drawn him from his sleep. Todd followed soon after, because it seemed that where there was Freddy, Todd wasn't far behind. Lance thought he saw the youngest member of the brotherhood giving him knowing looks, but he wasn't sure if he was just misinterpreting Todd's usual morning routine of looking tired off his ass.
x-+-x
The oldest member of the brotherhood regretted climbing out of bed that morning as he started up the jeep to drive everyone to school. If he'd just stayed in bed, next to Pietro, then he would still be comfortable. He would still be safe, and warm and happy and not stuck on the opposite side of the proverbial rift that had come between him and his friend. Did the speed-demon regret their time together? Was he put off by Lance's behaviour that morning? Pietro had told him that he loved him, but did he mean it? More importantly; did Lance feel the same way towards his teammate?
If it hadn't been for Todd and Freddy's chatter coming from the back seat, the ride to school would have been painfully silent. One thing Lance was thankful for was their complete obliviousness to the situation.
x-+-x
Despite the crowded hallways between first and second class, Todd was able to find Freddy without much trouble. The older mutant stood a head above most of the students and his bulky frame was easy to spot. "Freddy! Something's up, yo!" he said, rushing over. The younger mutant was obviously eager to talk to his friend without either of their other teammates present.
"Yeah," the large youth said with a frown. "They changed the menu of the cafeteria. I was looking forward to spaghetti Tuesdays," he looked sadly at his friend, hoping for any kind of moral support that the shorter mutant could offer.
"No, man!" Todd nearly yelled. "I mean with Lance and 'Tro! Man, the walls aren't exactly thin. They got up to something last night. I tried to block most of it out," he said, shuddering at the mental image. "But then they were so cold this morning. I think they're in a fight or something, man."
Freddy appeared to think on this for a moment before jumping slightly as Evan's voice broke out from behind his massive body. "If you guys are going to stand around, try not to do it in the middle of a doorway!" the X-man said, trying to push his way past.
The large mutant stepped aside, letting the lone X-man step past him. "Sorry," he said, sheepishly.
Evan rolled his eyes as he walked past them a short distance before stopping. "Pietro is in a fight with Lance?" he asked, turning slowly and walking back to the two brotherhood members.
"Yeah," Todd said, suspicion written on his face. "What does it matter to you, X-geek?"
Evan gave Todd a look before becoming serious again. "Pietro and I used to be friends. Lets just say that I heard from someone that's in the know that Lance might not approve of some of Pietro's habits… or, well," he paused, looking between the two Brotherhood members. "I'm not going to say shit to you guys because even though Pietro and I aren't friends anymore, it's not my place to say. Lance probably found out something about that guy and hates him for it. Well, I know there is one thing that he'll hate about that speed freak. Fucking ignorant of him, if you ask me."
"You're fucking ignorant, yo!" Todd said, becoming agitated as Evan danced around the issue. "I know what you're talking about, and there is no way that Lance would hate him just for that. We're a team!"
Evan raised an eyebrow. "So, you know? Well, I heard from someone that Lance doesn't like that kind of thing. He'll probably kick Pietro out of your little team, or something," he sniffed. "Not that it really affects me any. It's just that, I mean, it's a shitty reason to be kicked out," he looked between the two mutants that stood before him, speechless. "Well, I gotta go. It's been great talking to you two, and all. Be sure to tall your leader I think he's an even bigger loser now!" He turned to walk to his next class, leaving Freddy and Todd completely at a loss for words.
End Chapter 14
