August 7, 1992
Sharon fluffed out her hair and walked down the hall. The halls were familiar enough to her. She could still remember the times she had come over with her father and visited for summer breaks and Christmas. She had done it less when her mother had woken up.
One of her hands traced the walls. She felt a little sleepy, but she knew she didn't feel as bad as David did. He had been collected back at the hotel, but his insistence on staying awake spoke of something else. Kurt had also insisted on staying awake until his father woke or until their mother arrived. Sharon hoped that Moira would be able to talk some sense into her sons.
Sharon leaned against the wall. At least Rahne was doing alright. The manner of her arrival at the Institute, as well as the situation when they arrived, hadn't exactly been ideal. Scott was running the school and, from what it sounded like, was doing a good job. He'd given Rahne classes to look forward to.
Her friend was still shy around the rest of the students, but Sharon knew that she would get over it soon. She had gotten over her initial shyness enough to become friends with her after all. She was sure that, in time, Rahne would be able to have the life that she had deserved.
As happy as she was for her friend, Sharon wasn't sure about her own situation. Her ride to the Institute had been David, and she knew better than to ask him for a ride back home now. She didn't know how much time her parents had to spare to come down and pick her up. They would come if she asked, but she knew better than to ask. The Mutant Registration Act had been pulled, but there was still the aftermath to deal with.
She scratched the side of her head. She wasn't sure why Kelly had suddenly changed his mind. Sharon had casually mentioned it to Ororo. Ororo had gone stiff and left the room. Although Sharon had no idea what that meant, she had a feeling that it was connected to what had happened during the X-men's last engagement.
There were other implications of that though. She couldn't believe that, after decades, they had finally caught Magneto. Sharon had been further away from the fight than most of her childhood friends, but Magneto had been a sort of phantom to her. The monsters closer to her had been the Friends of Humanity and hateful people like Kelly.
It didn't really matter how close he was though. Her father and the X-men fought him. He was an overarching figure of her early childhood, an evil background presence that showed the necessity of the X-men. He had been their greatest enemy, and now he was in a plastic prison.
Sharon pushed off from the wall. The world was changing in ways that she couldn't quite comprehend, and it seemed a little shocking. She had to wonder about what else was changing, what other things would change.
It was too much. She rubbed her head, wondering if she should get out for a bit. There was a shuttle that went into the town on Saturdays. She could take that and explore for a while. The local town had probably surmised that there was a family of mutants nearby, Kurt and a few others had been going into the town for years, but she knew they didn't know that it was the school. The presence of a white-haired girl with slitted eyes wouldn't raise too many eyebrows.
She wondered if she should ask Rahne to come with her. It might be too soon to take her out of the Institute's safe walls though, and she knew it wouldn't do to push her. Even so, she should at least ask. It was the polite thing to do.
Sharon had just decided to ask her when she heard a movement to her left, almost as though something were banging against the wall. She turned her head and saw movement beneath a door. Sharon frowned and looked around to orientate herself.
She was in the east corridor, and she'd gone up two flights of stairs. That put her in the faculty residences, but this part was where the Xaviers had always lived. After a moment Sharon realized she was in front of David's room.
There was another thump. She looked back at his door, feeling uncertain. Wasn't David downstairs? It was possible that Moira had managed to get him to go upstairs for a bit, but that wouldn't explain the noises.
Sharon heard another noise, almost like a moan. It made the decision for her. She walked forward and opened the door, not bothering to knock. It wasn't locked and she was able to get in easily.
David was lying down on his bed, his hands tangled in his pillows and his eyes squeezed shut. One of his hands was hitting the headboard repeatedly, and she could see that his teeth were grinding together.
"David?" Sharon asked.
David moaned again and rolled onto his back, his eyes still shut. One of his hands went to his forehead. His fingernails dug in. Sharon swallowed before walking besides the bed, feeling uncertain.
"David," she said.
He didn't even moan, just kept digging his fingernails deeper into his skin. Blood started to trickle from his forehead. Sharon bit her lip before reaching out and shaking him as gently as she could.
"Dav-"
Sharon felt herself flung backwards. She hit the wall, clipping her head. Sharon fell to the floor and looked up at David. He had pushed himself into a seated position on the edge of the bed. His eyes were wide open and his mouth was moving wordlessly.
A second later he was in front of her, his hand touching the back of her head.
"I'm sorry Sharon," he said, "God, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."
She winced as his fingers touched the back of her head. At the same time she was aware of the way his fingers were threading through her hair. It felt warm and kind, even if he was probing an area she was sure was rapidly bruising.
"Are you alright?" David asked.
"I'm fine," Sharon said, "I've had worse."
She pushed herself up.
"What was that?" she asked.
David let go of the back of her head and leaned back.
"Nightmare," he said.
"Some nightmare," Sharon said.
"Well, it's been a little strange lately," he said, "Nothing to worry about."
Sharon cocked her head. She reached out and touched his forehead. The smell of blood was so strong to her that she didn't know how David couldn't notice it. David looked at her, surprised, until her fingers came away with blood on them.
"You were trying to tear open your head," Sharon said, "I saw you. I'd hardly call that normal."
David shifted uncomfortably. He put one of his hands onto his forehead and applied pressure.
"I'll get a Band-Aid from somewhere," he said.
"I don't think that a Band-Aid is the answer to what I saw," Sharon said, wiping her fingers on the rug.
"It's fine," David said, his voice sharp and irritated.
He pulled away but Sharon grabbed his arm. He looked at her and Sharon glared at him.
"Don't lie to me," she said, "We know each other far too well for that."
He stared at her, his eyes narrowing.
"I don't want to talk about this," he said.
"Well I do," Sharon said.
She tilted her head again, this time so that her eyes could be level with his.
"Or do you want me to talk about it with your mother and brother?" Sharon said.
David's eye twitched.
"That's playing dirty," he said.
"I know, but you're being stupid," Sharon said, "So right now you need to tell me what that was about so that I know whether or not to tell them."
David sat down, giving her a sullen look. Sharon didn't release the hold on his arm. She didn't feel comfortable with what she was doing, but she knew there was a good chance that he would just run if he felt backed into a corner.
Silence stretched out between the two of them. Sharon's eyes locked with his and she waited, her grip not loosening. David sighed.
"It's the assholes inside my head," he muttered.
"Sorry?" Sharon asked.
"The assholes inside my head," David said, raising his voice slightly, "I knew it would happen when I fell asleep."
He snorted.
"They like to gloat," he said, "And they've been in good form for the past couple of hours."
Sharon let go of his arm and he jerked it away. Part of her had been afraid that he would scurry away from her as soon as she did it. Instead David stayed seated, looking at the floorboards in front of him, his eyes narrowed.
"This must be really difficult for you," Sharon said.
David glanced over at her.
"What happened to your father, and then what's going on in your head," Sharon said, "It must be difficult."
"Don't feel sorry for me," David said.
His voice cracked. Sharon watched as he swiped at his forehead, wiping away more blood.
"Please don't feel sorry for me," he said.
"I don't," Sharon said.
She put her hand on his cheek and turned his head to face hers. His skin was rough beneath her fingertips. The intimacy of the gesture was great, but she didn't know any other way to get his attention.
"I know what you're feeling," she said, "When my mother...I know that it felt like someone had cut into my heart, that nothing would ever be the same again."
David didn't say anything, and she knew that she had hit the nail on the head.
"But she woke up," Sharon said, "And you were the one who told me that she would."
"I was trying to make you feel better," David mumbled.
"I know," Sharon said, "But it helped to believe that things would get better."
David turned his head away.
"That was different," he said.
"How?" Sharon asked.
Once more David paused, but it only lasted a few seconds.
"My father and I haven't had a proper conversation in years," David said, "I haven't been able to look him in the face for even longer."
"What?" Sharon asked.
David gritted his teeth.
"Yeah, I've been good at hiding it, but I've been being a spoiled brat for the past couple of years," David said, "I blamed him for..."
He trailed off, but Sharon understood.
"I was wrong," David said.
"Yes, you were," Sharon said.
She struggled with her next words.
"But he loves you," Sharon said, "It doesn't matter if you-"
"Yes it does," David snapped, "It matters because I treated him like garbage and, on the night when I realized that I was wrong, I can't make things right! He loved me? I know that! He just needs to know..."
David buried his head in his hands.
"He needs to know that I loved him too," he said.
Sharon bit her lip again. She didn't know what to do for David, how she could help. Sharon reached out tentatively and put her arms around David. He stiffened before relaxing into her touch. Sharon bit her lip again.
"He knew," Sharon said, "I'm sure he did. And you'll be able to tell him in words when he wakes up. It'll be true if you just believe it."
David let out a choked sob. He looked up at her, his eyes somehow deeper than she had ever seen them. One of his hands moved to the side of her neck in something like a caress and Sharon breathed deeply. His eyes darkening he began to move her head closer to his.
There was a small explosion on the other side of the room. David immediately let go of her and moved outside of her grasp. She barely had time to register the hurt and shock before she saw Kurt on the other side of the room, his motions animated.
"David, Dad's awake!" he said.
David leapt to his feet. He looked over his shoulder at Sharon and held out his hand. She got to her feet and looked at him, but David didn't quite meet her eyes. He walked next to his brother and grabbed his shoulder.
"I'm ready," he said.
Kurt gave him an odd look but, a moment later, there was a flash of black smoke. Sharon took a shuddering breath. She hugged herself before leaving the room.
