The More Things Change
Author: RoguesKnight
Chapter 7: Warm introductions and Icy Receptions.
Disclaimer: Not mine. I tried to sneak Rogue away and nearly lost my hand to one of Marvel's lawyers. So, once again, the characters contained herein, with a few exceptions are the property of Marvel, 20th Century Fox, Joss Whedon, and Mutant Enemy.
Dedication: To my darling fiancée, who puts up with all my oddities and still loves me for who I am. I love you! And to my wonderful readers and reviewers, thanks for not losing faith in me and this story, I know it's been a while since I've been able to update but things have just gotten a little lighter and with finals right around the corner, it won't be too long til I have even more time to write. Thanks for keeping me going.
"So" Professor Xavier said contemplatively, leaning his arms forward
onto his desk, "this spell...for lack of a better term, has awakened every
potential Slayer on the planet, gifting them with super human strength,
agility, and stamina among other traits." It was a lot for him to take in
and he had seen some strange things in the world, even before he had
decided to assemble a team to protect the world, both humans and mutants,
from those who would threaten it. However, the yarn the young man sitting
in front of him had just spun was hard to believe, especially if it was
true.
Xander, on the other hand looked relatively nonplussed. He'd gotten over
his initial shock that all of the residents of the mansion, except
himself, possessed superhuman abilities of one sort or another. Even the
fact that some of the residents seemed to live the sort of adventures
he'd only read about in comic books didn't phase him too much. In fact,
it was something of a relief to know that he and the Scoobies or the Fang
Gang weren't the only ones out there fighting the good fight. He smiled,
"Well, it's either that or almost all of the women I know these days
have been secretly taking steroids when I haven't been looking. Now don't
get me wrong, I've seen many of them stare death in the eye without
flinching, but I can't envision too many of them being willing to stick a
needle into themselves on a regular basis, so I'm going to go with yea,
potential Slayers are all becoming Slayers." He leaned back in his soft
padded seat and watched as Professor seemed to take the reality of the
world in much more calmly than Xander himself had all those years ago.
Charles nodded thoughtfully, his sharp blue eyes seeming to focus on
something far off for a moment before he spoke again, "And you're
absolutely sure this is a purely mystical force that causes these young
women to be chosen as Slayers, yes?" Xander nodded, drawing a troubled
sigh from Professor Xavier. "Xander," he said calmly, "I'll level with
you. I've seen a lot in my days, not as much as you have apparently," he
held up a hand warding off the disagreement he could feel rising in the
young man, "No, please let me finish. While I've had my share of odd
experiences, the vast majority of them if not all can be understood in
terms of science. The fact that there is a mystical side to this world is
not only new to me, I also find it deeply disturbing. This Slayer
business is especially troubling; if I understand you correctly, there
are very few limitations as to who can be chosen, the biggest of those
being that the individual must be female and more generally within a
certain age range."
Xander nodded again, shifting uncomfortably in his seat, not quite
understanding what Xavier found so troubling about the whole Slayer deal,
"Yea, you've pretty much got a handle on it. There might be other
factors at work, like, I don't know date of birth or astronomical
alignment or something that causes a particular girl to be chosen. I'm
not exactly a Watcher like Giles or anything, so I don't know all the
details. But the nuts and bolts of the matter is it's a girl, usually a
teenager, though with this spell, we'll probably see some older women and
some younger girls who are Slayers now too. I'm not sure I see what the
problem is though. We'll find them, train them to fight the good fight
and keep evil on its toes, no biggie."
Xavier smiled, amused by the younger man's nonchalant attitude, "Xander,
I have no doubt in you and your friends abilities to find these young
women and convince them of the need to apply their new found strengths to
the cause of good. However," he added, manipulating the controls to wheel
his chair next to Xander's, "We both know that not all of them will be
willing to fight the good fight. Some I suspect, would rather spend their
lives on the run from the creatures that will be drawn to them by their
status as slayers. Others...well, not all heed Lord Acton's warning about
the ability of power to corrupt, and you may be faced with more than one
Slayer who doesn't quite care what she uses her power for so long as she
benefits." He noticed the slight shudder that ran through the younger
man's body and caught a sudden rise in Xander's anxiety level he reached
up to massage his throat absently, apparently remembering some close
call. Seeing that Xander was beginning to see what the big deal could be,
he continued, "But what really concerns me Xander, is the apparent
randomness of the selection of Slayers. If it is as random as you
suggest, then there could be an even greater danger if a young woman who
is a mutant is chosen." He rolled over to one of the large office windows
and gazed out of it contemplatively. Xander stood and walked next to the
older man, wondering what if anything he should say. "You've no doubt
heard about the incidents at Liberty Island and the more recent attack on
the President and the cerebro attack," Xavier stated, watching as
students played a pick up game of basketball, "While I wish I could say
that they were isolated incidents that were spurred on by only a few
extremists I fear it isn't so. Attitudes on both sides, human and mutant,
have become strongly polarized and just as more humans are in favor of
passing the mutant registration act now, there are more mutants who see
themselves as being in danger and having the right to protect themselves
by any means necessary. Now, imagine if a mutant who was already
stronger than humans received an additional strength boost as a result of
being chosen as a slayer. Furthermore, lets suppose she was one of those
who felt that she had to fight back against humans. Do you really think
anyone would be equipped to stop such an individual?"
Xander paled slightly, "You know, never really thought about the wide
spread implications of making every potential into a Slayer. The whole
trying to avert the end of the world kinda put everything else on the
back burner." Despite his growing apprehension at the possibility of a
genetic war fought with Slayers in the mix, Xander grinned, putting a
hand on Xavier's shoulder, "I've got to introduce you to Giles some day
Professor. You both have a knack for making gloom and doom so much more
real.
Xavier smiled back, "I'd like that. From what you've told me, he seems
like he's quite the interesting fellow. As a matter of fact, given the
potential that a mutant could now be a Slayer on top of everything I
wouldn't mind speaking with him to see what he suggests the best course
of action would be. I know it seems a bit much to ask, as we both have
secrets that we are not apt to share with others about what our
respective organizations do, but if there is a phone number at which I
might reach Mr. Giles, perhaps you could give it to me? This whole
situation makes me a tad more uneasy than I'd like to admit."
"Sure thing" Xander said, walking back towards the desk in search of a
pen and paper, "Giles doesn't have a cell phone or anything, I think
he's afraid of them, but I can give you the number at the Hyperion. If
Giles is back in the country by now I'm sure he'll be there." Finding a
blank post-it note and a pen Xander quickly scribbled down a number and
included an extension before walking back to the window and handing it to
the Professor. "The extension will send the call straight to the phone
on my desk, instead of the main line which takes more of our mundane
calls. Just tell whoever answers that you're a friend of mine and you're
looking for Giles, you probably won't have any trouble. However, if they
don't believe you, ask to speak to Willow and tell her that you know my
middle name is LaVelle. She knows I wouldn't tell that to just anyone,
even if my life were at stake."
Xavier smiled, accepting the post-it note from Xander, "Your secret is
safe with me. It's been a pleasure talking with you Xander, and I hope
you enjoy your time with us. I don't foresee any problems, but if any of
the students says anything to you, please don't let it get to you.
They've recently been through a lot."
"Hey, mutant powers or not, they're still high school students," Xander
quipped, "Been there, done that. How bad can it be?"
"Well then, I should let you go get acquainted with our students here
Mr. Harris," Professor Xavier said, extending his hand, "Especially
since there's been a particular student waiting outside the door
wondering just how long I was going to keep you in here for the past half
hour. I think she's anxious to see you. We have arranged a room for you
in the teacher's wing of the building I'm sure Rogue will be happy to
show you where it is."
Xander shook the Professor's hand warmly before heading towards the
office door. Boy, that telepathy really comes in handy from time to
time He thought.
You have no idea came the slightly amused reply inside his head, making him jump as his hand touched the doorknob. Xander cast a mock annoyed glance back at the bald man who was still serenely gazing out the window and chucked to himself. Something tells me that this is going to be one interesting trip he thought as he left the room.
The heavy oak door had barely closed behind him when Xander found himself enveloped in the arms of a very excited Rogue. "So, everything's ok, isn't it?" She asked without preamble, "Ah mean with you being here and all. You're not gonna have to stay all by yourself or anything are you?" Xander smiled, whatever Marie had been through with Xavier and his people it had done wonders. He barely recognized her as the shy, withdrawn girl he'd saved in Tennessee. Looking over the top of her head he could see three other students, who appeared to be around the same age as Marie, a boy and two girls. And judging from the glare the boy was giving him, Xander figured he should cut the hug short. Of course, he wasn't about to let some possessive boyfriend interfere with his friendship with Marie. He met the glare of the younger man with an easy smile of his own and gave Marie an extra squeeze before releasing her and stepping back to answer her questions.
"No, I'm not going to have to keep to myself, though you'll probably wish I would sooner or later. The Prof tells me that there's a room set up for me in the teacher's wing and school was never my favorite thing so I don't suspect I'll be popping in to observe any classes but other than that, I'm pretty much free to mingle." He leaned against the wall and looked pointedly past her and smiled, "So are you going to introduce me to your friends or is this a test to see if I have any mutant abilities, cause for the record I'm not a telepath."
Rogue flushed slightly, as if she'd forgotten they weren't alone, " Ah was going to get to that if you'd let me" she stated with an offended air, that lasted all of a minute before breaking into a smile. "Ok, so my manners still need a little work, but they've been improving since our last meeting. Xander Ah'd like you to meet my roommates Kitty Pryde and Jubilation Lee." The two girls behind her came forward, allowing Xander to get a better look at them.
"I'd be Kitty" said the one closest to him. She was about Rogue's height with short auburn hair and clear blue eyes. Something about the way she carried herself reminded him powerfully of Dawn, "It's a pleasure to meet you Xander," she said, "Now maybe Rogue will stop babbling about what a great guy you are and how we're all going to just love you" She grinned cheekily and flashed a wink at a visibly embarrassed Rogue.
"Nice to meet you too Kitty," Xander said, shaking her hand and grinning, "Since my reputation precedes me I'm going to do everything in my power to correct the obvious lies she's been telling." He winked conspiratorially and turned to the other young woman, "So by process of elimination I'm guessing you're Jubilation. Unless Mr. Frowns over there is," he nodded to the lone figure who hadn't let up from his initial glare.
The shorter Asian girl smiled, extending a well manicured hand, " Please, it's Jubilee. I don't know what my parents were on when they named me but no one here calls me Jubilation unless I'm in trouble. Which isn't too often" she added. From the corner of his eye Xander noticed Kitty elbow Rogue in her side and both girls seemed to be trying not to laugh at that last bit. Obviously Jubilee had seen it too because her smile widened and turned a bit feral as she remarked, "You know Rogue you're right. He is a major hottie, and the eye patch....mmmm...just the right bit of rough edge to him. I can see the attraction. Wolverine, Xander, you like your men dangerous don't you girl?" Rogue went completely silent, blushing three different shades of red and looked like she wanted to melt through the floor. Kitty on the other hand slid down the wall, her hand covering her mouth to keep back laughter and looked for all the world as if she was having trouble not melting through the floor. Xander had to admit, it was a little odd to be hit on so obviously again, it'd been a while since he'd met someone as frank as Anya had been, but the initial shock slid away quickly. He noticed the only one not amused by Jubilee's remarks was Rogue's sulky boyfriend.
"Has anyone ever warned him that if he's not careful his face is going to freeze like that?" Xander asked. The only response he got was Jubilee's dissolving into a fit of giggles and joining Kitty on the floor, even Rogue only offered an enigmatic and amused smile so Xander did the only thing he could to find out what everyone thought was so damned amusing. "Alexander Harris, Xander to my friends and the friends of my friends," he said walking over to the younger man and extending his hand, " And you would be?"
"Rogue's boyfriend" came the terse reply. Xander attributed the sudden drop in temperature to the boy's demeanor and dropped his hand seeing that the younger man wasn't in any hurry to get acquainted.
"Bobby!" Rogue admonished her boyfriend, coming up to him and whapping him none too gently in the shoulder, "He's my friend and unlike some, trying to be polite. Now play nice. Xander had the distinct impression that he'd somehow gotten stuck in the middle of something and it wasn't pretty, he caught the faintest whisper of Kitty and Jubilee's conversation from the floor, something to the effect of Bobby being jealous, and judging from the look on the younger man's face he had the feeling they were dead on target. Unfortunately.
The blonde youth glared at his girlfriend before turning to Xander, obviously fighting to make his expression at least neutral. "Call me Iceman," he said coolly, finally offering Xander his hand. Xander let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, maybe things wouldn't have to be so tense around Rogue now that the boyfriend seemed to be willing to be at least civil. Xander plastered as warm a smile as he could manage on his face and moved to shake the younger man's hand only to have his arm shoved away by Rogue.
"Let's just say I know what he was up to" Rogue said by way of explanation. She turned Bobby's hand over, palm up and Xander could see the barest hint of what appeared to be ice covering the younger man's hand. "And while I'm sure you'll meet Dr. McCoy eventually," she continued, "I think you'd prefer to meet him without needing treatment for frost bite as the reason." She gave Bobby a dirty look which seemed to have absolutely no effect on him. The young man seemed completely unrepentant as he shook free of Rogue's hold and turned away, stalking off down the hall.
Maybe I was wrong about things not being so tense Xander thought, watching Bobby walk away. When the younger man got to the end of the hall he cast one more glance towards the group at the end of the hall, his eyes meeting each of theirs in turn. Xander couldn't be sure of what message he was giving the three women, but the look Xander received was clear "stay away from my girl". He suppressed a sigh, I almost forgot what a pain in the ass jealous teenage males can be he thought. Deciding to put dealing with Bobby's jealousy on a back burner for the time being, Xander smiled charmingly and offered a hand to both Jubilee and Kitty, helping the young women back to their feet. "Well that was fun. Anyone up for showing me where this room of mine is and maybe helping me get settled in?". In retrospect, it probably would have been safer to just ask Rogue where the room was and if she could take him up there. As it was he quickly found each of his arms occupied by Kitty and Jubilee who were trying to pull him off somewhere at near breakneck speeds, with a softly chuckling Rogue trailing behind them.
Author: RoguesKnight
Chapter 7: Warm introductions and Icy Receptions.
Disclaimer: Not mine. I tried to sneak Rogue away and nearly lost my hand to one of Marvel's lawyers. So, once again, the characters contained herein, with a few exceptions are the property of Marvel, 20th Century Fox, Joss Whedon, and Mutant Enemy.
Dedication: To my darling fiancée, who puts up with all my oddities and still loves me for who I am. I love you! And to my wonderful readers and reviewers, thanks for not losing faith in me and this story, I know it's been a while since I've been able to update but things have just gotten a little lighter and with finals right around the corner, it won't be too long til I have even more time to write. Thanks for keeping me going.
"So" Professor Xavier said contemplatively, leaning his arms forward
onto his desk, "this spell...for lack of a better term, has awakened every
potential Slayer on the planet, gifting them with super human strength,
agility, and stamina among other traits." It was a lot for him to take in
and he had seen some strange things in the world, even before he had
decided to assemble a team to protect the world, both humans and mutants,
from those who would threaten it. However, the yarn the young man sitting
in front of him had just spun was hard to believe, especially if it was
true.
Xander, on the other hand looked relatively nonplussed. He'd gotten over
his initial shock that all of the residents of the mansion, except
himself, possessed superhuman abilities of one sort or another. Even the
fact that some of the residents seemed to live the sort of adventures
he'd only read about in comic books didn't phase him too much. In fact,
it was something of a relief to know that he and the Scoobies or the Fang
Gang weren't the only ones out there fighting the good fight. He smiled,
"Well, it's either that or almost all of the women I know these days
have been secretly taking steroids when I haven't been looking. Now don't
get me wrong, I've seen many of them stare death in the eye without
flinching, but I can't envision too many of them being willing to stick a
needle into themselves on a regular basis, so I'm going to go with yea,
potential Slayers are all becoming Slayers." He leaned back in his soft
padded seat and watched as Professor seemed to take the reality of the
world in much more calmly than Xander himself had all those years ago.
Charles nodded thoughtfully, his sharp blue eyes seeming to focus on
something far off for a moment before he spoke again, "And you're
absolutely sure this is a purely mystical force that causes these young
women to be chosen as Slayers, yes?" Xander nodded, drawing a troubled
sigh from Professor Xavier. "Xander," he said calmly, "I'll level with
you. I've seen a lot in my days, not as much as you have apparently," he
held up a hand warding off the disagreement he could feel rising in the
young man, "No, please let me finish. While I've had my share of odd
experiences, the vast majority of them if not all can be understood in
terms of science. The fact that there is a mystical side to this world is
not only new to me, I also find it deeply disturbing. This Slayer
business is especially troubling; if I understand you correctly, there
are very few limitations as to who can be chosen, the biggest of those
being that the individual must be female and more generally within a
certain age range."
Xander nodded again, shifting uncomfortably in his seat, not quite
understanding what Xavier found so troubling about the whole Slayer deal,
"Yea, you've pretty much got a handle on it. There might be other
factors at work, like, I don't know date of birth or astronomical
alignment or something that causes a particular girl to be chosen. I'm
not exactly a Watcher like Giles or anything, so I don't know all the
details. But the nuts and bolts of the matter is it's a girl, usually a
teenager, though with this spell, we'll probably see some older women and
some younger girls who are Slayers now too. I'm not sure I see what the
problem is though. We'll find them, train them to fight the good fight
and keep evil on its toes, no biggie."
Xavier smiled, amused by the younger man's nonchalant attitude, "Xander,
I have no doubt in you and your friends abilities to find these young
women and convince them of the need to apply their new found strengths to
the cause of good. However," he added, manipulating the controls to wheel
his chair next to Xander's, "We both know that not all of them will be
willing to fight the good fight. Some I suspect, would rather spend their
lives on the run from the creatures that will be drawn to them by their
status as slayers. Others...well, not all heed Lord Acton's warning about
the ability of power to corrupt, and you may be faced with more than one
Slayer who doesn't quite care what she uses her power for so long as she
benefits." He noticed the slight shudder that ran through the younger
man's body and caught a sudden rise in Xander's anxiety level he reached
up to massage his throat absently, apparently remembering some close
call. Seeing that Xander was beginning to see what the big deal could be,
he continued, "But what really concerns me Xander, is the apparent
randomness of the selection of Slayers. If it is as random as you
suggest, then there could be an even greater danger if a young woman who
is a mutant is chosen." He rolled over to one of the large office windows
and gazed out of it contemplatively. Xander stood and walked next to the
older man, wondering what if anything he should say. "You've no doubt
heard about the incidents at Liberty Island and the more recent attack on
the President and the cerebro attack," Xavier stated, watching as
students played a pick up game of basketball, "While I wish I could say
that they were isolated incidents that were spurred on by only a few
extremists I fear it isn't so. Attitudes on both sides, human and mutant,
have become strongly polarized and just as more humans are in favor of
passing the mutant registration act now, there are more mutants who see
themselves as being in danger and having the right to protect themselves
by any means necessary. Now, imagine if a mutant who was already
stronger than humans received an additional strength boost as a result of
being chosen as a slayer. Furthermore, lets suppose she was one of those
who felt that she had to fight back against humans. Do you really think
anyone would be equipped to stop such an individual?"
Xander paled slightly, "You know, never really thought about the wide
spread implications of making every potential into a Slayer. The whole
trying to avert the end of the world kinda put everything else on the
back burner." Despite his growing apprehension at the possibility of a
genetic war fought with Slayers in the mix, Xander grinned, putting a
hand on Xavier's shoulder, "I've got to introduce you to Giles some day
Professor. You both have a knack for making gloom and doom so much more
real.
Xavier smiled back, "I'd like that. From what you've told me, he seems
like he's quite the interesting fellow. As a matter of fact, given the
potential that a mutant could now be a Slayer on top of everything I
wouldn't mind speaking with him to see what he suggests the best course
of action would be. I know it seems a bit much to ask, as we both have
secrets that we are not apt to share with others about what our
respective organizations do, but if there is a phone number at which I
might reach Mr. Giles, perhaps you could give it to me? This whole
situation makes me a tad more uneasy than I'd like to admit."
"Sure thing" Xander said, walking back towards the desk in search of a
pen and paper, "Giles doesn't have a cell phone or anything, I think
he's afraid of them, but I can give you the number at the Hyperion. If
Giles is back in the country by now I'm sure he'll be there." Finding a
blank post-it note and a pen Xander quickly scribbled down a number and
included an extension before walking back to the window and handing it to
the Professor. "The extension will send the call straight to the phone
on my desk, instead of the main line which takes more of our mundane
calls. Just tell whoever answers that you're a friend of mine and you're
looking for Giles, you probably won't have any trouble. However, if they
don't believe you, ask to speak to Willow and tell her that you know my
middle name is LaVelle. She knows I wouldn't tell that to just anyone,
even if my life were at stake."
Xavier smiled, accepting the post-it note from Xander, "Your secret is
safe with me. It's been a pleasure talking with you Xander, and I hope
you enjoy your time with us. I don't foresee any problems, but if any of
the students says anything to you, please don't let it get to you.
They've recently been through a lot."
"Hey, mutant powers or not, they're still high school students," Xander
quipped, "Been there, done that. How bad can it be?"
"Well then, I should let you go get acquainted with our students here
Mr. Harris," Professor Xavier said, extending his hand, "Especially
since there's been a particular student waiting outside the door
wondering just how long I was going to keep you in here for the past half
hour. I think she's anxious to see you. We have arranged a room for you
in the teacher's wing of the building I'm sure Rogue will be happy to
show you where it is."
Xander shook the Professor's hand warmly before heading towards the
office door. Boy, that telepathy really comes in handy from time to
time He thought.
You have no idea came the slightly amused reply inside his head, making him jump as his hand touched the doorknob. Xander cast a mock annoyed glance back at the bald man who was still serenely gazing out the window and chucked to himself. Something tells me that this is going to be one interesting trip he thought as he left the room.
The heavy oak door had barely closed behind him when Xander found himself enveloped in the arms of a very excited Rogue. "So, everything's ok, isn't it?" She asked without preamble, "Ah mean with you being here and all. You're not gonna have to stay all by yourself or anything are you?" Xander smiled, whatever Marie had been through with Xavier and his people it had done wonders. He barely recognized her as the shy, withdrawn girl he'd saved in Tennessee. Looking over the top of her head he could see three other students, who appeared to be around the same age as Marie, a boy and two girls. And judging from the glare the boy was giving him, Xander figured he should cut the hug short. Of course, he wasn't about to let some possessive boyfriend interfere with his friendship with Marie. He met the glare of the younger man with an easy smile of his own and gave Marie an extra squeeze before releasing her and stepping back to answer her questions.
"No, I'm not going to have to keep to myself, though you'll probably wish I would sooner or later. The Prof tells me that there's a room set up for me in the teacher's wing and school was never my favorite thing so I don't suspect I'll be popping in to observe any classes but other than that, I'm pretty much free to mingle." He leaned against the wall and looked pointedly past her and smiled, "So are you going to introduce me to your friends or is this a test to see if I have any mutant abilities, cause for the record I'm not a telepath."
Rogue flushed slightly, as if she'd forgotten they weren't alone, " Ah was going to get to that if you'd let me" she stated with an offended air, that lasted all of a minute before breaking into a smile. "Ok, so my manners still need a little work, but they've been improving since our last meeting. Xander Ah'd like you to meet my roommates Kitty Pryde and Jubilation Lee." The two girls behind her came forward, allowing Xander to get a better look at them.
"I'd be Kitty" said the one closest to him. She was about Rogue's height with short auburn hair and clear blue eyes. Something about the way she carried herself reminded him powerfully of Dawn, "It's a pleasure to meet you Xander," she said, "Now maybe Rogue will stop babbling about what a great guy you are and how we're all going to just love you" She grinned cheekily and flashed a wink at a visibly embarrassed Rogue.
"Nice to meet you too Kitty," Xander said, shaking her hand and grinning, "Since my reputation precedes me I'm going to do everything in my power to correct the obvious lies she's been telling." He winked conspiratorially and turned to the other young woman, "So by process of elimination I'm guessing you're Jubilation. Unless Mr. Frowns over there is," he nodded to the lone figure who hadn't let up from his initial glare.
The shorter Asian girl smiled, extending a well manicured hand, " Please, it's Jubilee. I don't know what my parents were on when they named me but no one here calls me Jubilation unless I'm in trouble. Which isn't too often" she added. From the corner of his eye Xander noticed Kitty elbow Rogue in her side and both girls seemed to be trying not to laugh at that last bit. Obviously Jubilee had seen it too because her smile widened and turned a bit feral as she remarked, "You know Rogue you're right. He is a major hottie, and the eye patch....mmmm...just the right bit of rough edge to him. I can see the attraction. Wolverine, Xander, you like your men dangerous don't you girl?" Rogue went completely silent, blushing three different shades of red and looked like she wanted to melt through the floor. Kitty on the other hand slid down the wall, her hand covering her mouth to keep back laughter and looked for all the world as if she was having trouble not melting through the floor. Xander had to admit, it was a little odd to be hit on so obviously again, it'd been a while since he'd met someone as frank as Anya had been, but the initial shock slid away quickly. He noticed the only one not amused by Jubilee's remarks was Rogue's sulky boyfriend.
"Has anyone ever warned him that if he's not careful his face is going to freeze like that?" Xander asked. The only response he got was Jubilee's dissolving into a fit of giggles and joining Kitty on the floor, even Rogue only offered an enigmatic and amused smile so Xander did the only thing he could to find out what everyone thought was so damned amusing. "Alexander Harris, Xander to my friends and the friends of my friends," he said walking over to the younger man and extending his hand, " And you would be?"
"Rogue's boyfriend" came the terse reply. Xander attributed the sudden drop in temperature to the boy's demeanor and dropped his hand seeing that the younger man wasn't in any hurry to get acquainted.
"Bobby!" Rogue admonished her boyfriend, coming up to him and whapping him none too gently in the shoulder, "He's my friend and unlike some, trying to be polite. Now play nice. Xander had the distinct impression that he'd somehow gotten stuck in the middle of something and it wasn't pretty, he caught the faintest whisper of Kitty and Jubilee's conversation from the floor, something to the effect of Bobby being jealous, and judging from the look on the younger man's face he had the feeling they were dead on target. Unfortunately.
The blonde youth glared at his girlfriend before turning to Xander, obviously fighting to make his expression at least neutral. "Call me Iceman," he said coolly, finally offering Xander his hand. Xander let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, maybe things wouldn't have to be so tense around Rogue now that the boyfriend seemed to be willing to be at least civil. Xander plastered as warm a smile as he could manage on his face and moved to shake the younger man's hand only to have his arm shoved away by Rogue.
"Let's just say I know what he was up to" Rogue said by way of explanation. She turned Bobby's hand over, palm up and Xander could see the barest hint of what appeared to be ice covering the younger man's hand. "And while I'm sure you'll meet Dr. McCoy eventually," she continued, "I think you'd prefer to meet him without needing treatment for frost bite as the reason." She gave Bobby a dirty look which seemed to have absolutely no effect on him. The young man seemed completely unrepentant as he shook free of Rogue's hold and turned away, stalking off down the hall.
Maybe I was wrong about things not being so tense Xander thought, watching Bobby walk away. When the younger man got to the end of the hall he cast one more glance towards the group at the end of the hall, his eyes meeting each of theirs in turn. Xander couldn't be sure of what message he was giving the three women, but the look Xander received was clear "stay away from my girl". He suppressed a sigh, I almost forgot what a pain in the ass jealous teenage males can be he thought. Deciding to put dealing with Bobby's jealousy on a back burner for the time being, Xander smiled charmingly and offered a hand to both Jubilee and Kitty, helping the young women back to their feet. "Well that was fun. Anyone up for showing me where this room of mine is and maybe helping me get settled in?". In retrospect, it probably would have been safer to just ask Rogue where the room was and if she could take him up there. As it was he quickly found each of his arms occupied by Kitty and Jubilee who were trying to pull him off somewhere at near breakneck speeds, with a softly chuckling Rogue trailing behind them.