Angelo

Kes was sitting in the window on one of the Academy's many landings. She had been a resident for nearly 3 weeks and was beginning to settle in to a routine. Classes were ok, interesting because it was all from an American viewpoint, but nothing difficult or too different. Training was another matter entirely. Not only was there physical training she undertook with the rest of the mutants in the school, Gen X members or not, but also the mental training Ms Frost was putting her through. Her head was a constant ache. She thought it might be working, though. She wasn't able to completely switch off her 'sight', but she swore the colours were less intense when she concentrated. On the upside, she had made friends. Jubilee had sort of adopted her, even though Jubes was a year younger than Kes's own 18 years. She had a feeling it was a habit of Jubilee's, adopting those that needed friends. Through Jubilee she had met the rest of the team called Generation X and learned of the X-men as well. Angelo had become one of her friends rather than an acquaintance, although Kes wished he'd stop smoking those bloody cigarettes.

"Kes?"

She leapt out of both her seat and her thoughts, spinning around to face the man himself.

"Angelo Espinosã! Would you stop doing that to me!"

Angelo just grinned at her and drawled, "Once a thief always a thief, chica, it's hard to get out of the habit."

Kes looked up at him, surprised. "Chica?" she asked, "I thought that's what you call Jubilee."

Angelo laughed, "You are both my chicas. My ones to protect, to befriend and the ones who understand."

Kes felt proud, honoured and unworthy all at the same time. She wasn't sure she could match up to Jubilee, but that didn't stop a dazzling smile radiating from her face. It hit Angelo full in the face and left him dazed, staring into Kestral's eyes.

"You are beautiful when you smile, chica," he muttered absently, "Your eyes are encantador." He continued to look down at her, giving Kes the shivers, but not in an unpleasant way.

"Angelo?"

Her voice seemed to wake him from his daze. He shook his head slightly before answering,

"Yes, chica?"

"Did you have to go see Dr McKoy when you first got here?" It had been bothering her a bit over the last week, especially because of how her meeting with Ms Frost had ended. Angelo put her fears to rest.

"Si. All mutant students go to have their powers assessed." He looked down at her once again, and Kes felt butterflies stir in her stomach.

"You are very, well, secretive almost when it comes to your mutation, chica," he stated.

Kes looked down. "Yeah, well," she replied, "It's not really as glamorous as your guys."

Angelo stared at her incredulously and said in a voice that touched on anger, "Your talking to the hombre who has 8? inches of extra skin!!"

"Sorry!! I forgot, I just.... well, I didn;t really think of it like that."

He looked at her blankly. "You forgot."

Kes was surprised, "Well, yeah. I don't really see that when I look at you."

Angelo didn't say anything for bit, he just stared at her. Oh hell, she thought, what if I've really put my foot in it?

"What do you see?"

"Huh?"

"When you look at me. What do you see?"

Kes could only answer with the truth.

"I see a true blue. You shine from the inside out. You have been through so much not just as a mutant either, that only made it worse, but you still remain an honest pure soul. There's black shades all round your heart, but bits of pink from your friends are healing that up," she took a breath and continued, "I also see your eyes, they're a real deep chocolate brown, a real soft colour. The colour of home. You miss your family but know you can't go back. And I think your extra skin has the potential to be controlled if you can develop the patience to work at it." She stopped. "And yeah, that's basically what I 'see'."

She fell silent and looked at the ground, not really knowing how Angelo would take it.

"Look at me, querida."

Kes looked up and saw he had flipped his hood back off his head.

"That is your mutation, isn't it? To see things that others do not."

Kes nodded. "Pretty much."

Angelo smiled and lifted a hand to her cheek, rubbing his thumb up and down making Kes's blood fizz in her veins and her heart skip. What is this? She thought.

"Thank you, querida." Then he pulled her roughly and suddenly into a hug that surprised himself as much as Kes, as he was not the hugging type at all. You know, ex-gang member and all. He let her go just as suddenly, nodded, then turned and walked down the hall.

Kes stood for a second trying to gather her wits, then yelled, "What's a querida?!"

"You're a smart chica, look it up!" he called back.

Kes shook her head and headed in the opposite direction to go find her room.

Kes surfed the Internet looking for Spanish Translators into English. She found one and typed in 'querida'. It came up with "dear one, darling, sweetheart." Kes sat back, the fizzy feeling came back and a small blush crept over her cheeks. "Oh" she said softly. Then smiled.