Cable gets pulled away on his first X-Men mission! Wade's not invited so Cable's just a mite distracted hoping his red annoyance will be okay when he gets back.

"Hey, earth to Cable!"

"What?" A slightly startled Cable asked of the surly Negasonic Teenage Warhead sitting closer to him than anyone else on the X-Jet.

"Space-case, you hear what the boss just said?" Demanded his third-his-age seat buddy as she jerked her head towards the front of the ship, where Cable directed his eyes in time to see Storm retaking her seat and buckling in.
"Or you too busy worrying over your needy boyfriend to pay attention?"

Cable couldn't help the way his eyes squinted just a little as he tamped down a powerful urge to growl at the youth and her crass assessment.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. S'why I asked Yukio to watch out for Wade while we're out saving these kids' sorry lives," said the surly individual between the absentminded poppings of her mouthful of bubblegum. Cable's eyes widened a hair when the words set in.
"Mostly so she'd have something to do other than worry," she added. Then, bopping him on the knee, the teen grinned and finished with a wry, "You're welcome, gramps."

"I don't have grandchildren-"

"Could've fooled me."

"-but I am grateful." This time, his words seemed to impress, as the Warhead's eyes widened ever so slightly. Kid had a good poker face. "Wade's been..."

"I know. I was there when he bit off his own fucking tongue and you violated his mouth to save his life." the Warhead added with a cross, half-pout half-glower.

"He was crushed over the death of his wife-

"Fiancée."

"-and I feel like I'm taking advantage of the situation like a complete ass." Several suddenly 'high alert' heads flipped in his direction as Cable realized he'd gotten-

"Loud much? You're just like that annoying clown: total drama queens." Then the kid looked him in the eye and added, "You're perfect for each other."

"But-"

"Now what about the established fact of you being a 'complete ass'?"

Cable sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before figuring there wasn't anyone his age around to talk to anyway, so he might as well spill while he felt like it. Otherwise he'd probably just end up pushing Wade farther and farther away until something snapped between them. And he really didn't want to be the one to break the poor guy's heart the second time.
"I've been trying to figure out a way to save his Fiancée-"

"Vanessa."

"-and bring her here without destroying reality as we know it." Looking down at his unexpected confidant, Cable gave another sigh and revealed the ace he'd been keeping up his proverbial sleeve this whole time. "I have a time machine. Problem is, it's broke and only has enough charge to send me through time once. No return trip and definitely no tagalongs." Cable felt his face harden as he thought again of how wrong it was to keep that information from the man he'd grown so... so very, very fond of.
Hiding things and lying was never a good place to start a relationship.

"That's easy," Cable looked up sharply at the derisive words. The Warhead cocked her head in a wry, challenging way before saying more. "Fix it."

Cable rolled his eyes to the bulkhead and huffed a desperate sort of laugh. "I'm not a chronal technician; I could blow away all life in the tristate area if I fuck it up. Or, the tri-city area, anyway," he corrected with an unhappy rub at his eyes.

"I'm a genius. Let me have a look at it." Said in a matter of fact way that had Cable doing some major eyebrow raising.

"No joke. It's half the reason the teaches at school don't get on my case about my 'attitude'," she informed with a pair of air-quotes.

"What's the other half?" Cable asked. Not able to help himself.

"I like to think it's because they know I could annihilate them easier than breathing on them, but the party line is that they're there to help foster creativity and individuality. So take your pick."

"Huh," Cable hummed, weighing his options a few moments before retrieving his 'ace' from his utility bag. He still paused to feel the cold heft of it before finally making up his mind and handing it over to the child holding out a hand in almost concealed eagerness.
Like he'd thought: good poker face.

He watched as the Warhead studied the tiny device with a sort of single-mindedness he'd rarely seen on someone who walked around in all yellow. Not that there was anything inherently wrong with yellow.

"Yeah, I can fix it," said with such confidence that Cable had to double-take to be sure he'd heard correctly. "My tools are back home though, so-"

"How long would it take you?" Cable cut her off. Accidentally.

"Like, five minutes. Tops," the self proclaimed genius said, handing back the device with fingers that obviously didn't want to. Then, when Cable realized the inherent danger of letting anyone tinker with such an item and sucked in a breath to say so, she cut him off with a knowing shake of the head.
"If it did blow, I could contain the explosion. I practically eat those for breakfast anyway."

Cable nodded as he put the time machine back where it belonged and sighed as he was finally awarded the opportunity to go back to his preferred way of spending a flight: silently staring off into space.
Before long though, his neighbor gave him a poke in the organic arm. Apparently not quite finished with him yet.

"Look, Yukio's the most kind, strong, beautiful, understanding soul I know. So, at least until we get back, if anyone can keep your boyfriend from offing himself- or from trying to..." The bright yellow suited teen ended with a hard stare right into Cable's eyes. In lieu of any more words.
A mutant after his own heart.

"He's in good hands," Cable supplied with a nod of understanding.

"Yeah. So get your head in the game and let's focus on the mission. Zurich, remember?" Ordered Cable's younger, senior teammate.

"Traveling circus, forcing mutant children to perform in exchange for almost humane treatment and living conditions?"

The Warhead nodded at the summary and gave him a thumbs up. "Besides, the sooner we get through in Switzerland-"

"The sooner we get back to the X-Manor-"

"And to our... people," she intoned, indicating with just her voice that 'people' was some sort of code for 'girlfriend and boyfriend'.

"Yeah. Our people."

The Warhead blew and popped an especially impressive gum bubble, then bopped Cable on the knee once more before turning her head toward the front of the X-Jet to scan the progress screens.

They were almost there. Which meant they were also almost halfway back.
Cable bit his lip, willing the jet to slip through the air streams just that last bit faster.

After all, there was someone waiting for him stateside.

Wow, Negasonic. Anyone ever thought she could be so thoughtful? Well, Yukio did, but anyone else?
Cable's just as shocked as the rest of us.