Do I have something on my face?
Sometime in The Gifted season 2...
The months after Lorna and the others left to join the Hellfire Club were hard for the Mutant Underground. They were constantly fighting for their survival and safety. Which meant that many of them overextended their powers nearly on daily basis. So it's no wonder this happened...
After another hard day of rescuing mutants from Sentinel Services, and a restless night of Clarice not being able to shut her brain off because of all the things that were happening around her, Clarice walked to the make-shift kitchen in the new Mutant Underground headquarters to get some breakfast. But for some reason, everyone was staring at her. Some tried to hide it, but some were openly gawking.
She got her breakfast, or rather what nowadays needed to suffice as that, meaning that she got her bland oatmeal and crappy coffee and went to sit at the table occupied by John and his tablet.
Since the kiss on the day that Lorna and the other mutants left the Mutant Underground, Clarice and John were sort-of, kind-off dating. They hadn't defined their relationship yet. Nor did they felt the need to do that. And they weren't all lovey-dovey either. But for someone on the outside looking in they seemed like a solid couple. They were touching each other constantly, whether to alert the other of incoming danger or just seeking comfort from their partner. And kisses, although a rarity nowadays, given the tense situation they found themselves in, did happen on occasion. Mostly though when it was just the two of them since they didn't want anyone assuming the wrong thing about either of them. What with Sonya's death still being a recent thing and Clarice being crowned a Mutant Underground leader alongside John and Marcos just a few months prior.
"Why are people staring at me? Do I have something on my face?" Clarice asked John as she sat down at the table. John finally looked up from his device and did a double when he spotted Clarice's face.
"Have you looked in the mirror this morning yet?" John asked with a bit of amused smile, thinking that Clarice looked even more beautiful now than before.
"No. Why?" Clarice asked confused, panic rising in her. Was her hair that bad? Or maybe her eyes had suddenly gone from green to bright blue. When it came to being a mutant, the possibilities were endless.
"You have a new beauty mark, Clarice." John finally answered after a long pause. And then he powered off his tablet and gave it to Clarice so she could use it as a mirror.
John was right. A pink diamond had taken residence on her forehead, right between her eyes. The cost of using her portals so much and transporting multiple people at large distances.
"Damn. And right smack dab in the middle of my face. I guess now there really is no hiding that I'm a mutant. Because this one is going to be really hard to cover up with hair." Clarice quipped continuing to examine her new addition and then handed John back his tablet with a frown on her face.
"Hey.." John said seeing Clarice's expression and leaned over the table to take her hand in his own "I've always loved that you can tell that you are a mutant. Besides, the new beauty mark means that you are getting stronger. Soon everyone will fear you instead of me or Marcos." John finished and smiled at Clarice lovingly.
"Yeah, doubt that's going to happen anytime soon. But thanks!" Clarice replied leaning over the table as well to give John a kiss. Clarice was a big believer in the saying "actions speak louder than words". And with John being so sweet, the hell with avoiding kissing him in public. So Clarice kissed the living daylight out of John and after she was done, resumed eating her breakfast as if nothing had happened. The only indications of what transpired only a couple of seconds ago were John's blush and Marcos snickering in the doorway to the kitchen.
Maybe things weren't all that bad for the Mutant Underground after all! At least not for the two leaders.