xp_logs | Backdated to Sunday the 23rd (Reply)

As arranged in this e-mail Alex and Shiro meet in the park to talk.

At 12:55, Shiro zipped up his well-worn Xavier's hoodie, ran out the door, and flew away, leaving a small burnt patch of grass from where he lifted off. At 12:58 he landed across the street from the park, and as his watch struck 1, he was exactly where he and Alex had arranged to meet. He shifted uncomfortably, looking around him to see if he could catch sight of Alex coming.

Alex had actually been in the park all day. He met up with some of his skating friends at the ramps and had been skateboarding all day to keep his mind off the eventual meeting. What had he been thinking, agreeing to this? Was he even ready for this? Though the truth was...in many ways he missed Shiro. Even as a part of him was still terrified of him. It was why he'd wanted to meet in the park, under the sun. Where he was most comfortable.

At 1, Alex was coasting down the path towards the spot they'd agreed to meet, if anything because he didn't totally trust his feet.

Shiro's breath caught in his throat as Alex appeared, and the familiar power signature urged him to move forward and grab the other man. He'd taken a step forward and extended an arm before he realized what he was doing, and promptly stepped back even further. "Hi," he greeted hoarsely.

There was a rough noise as Alex's shoe hit the pavement, stopping the board as he too felt the familiar pull on his powers that for a second made his heart leap into his throat. He couldn't look up, afraid of what he'd feel when he saw Shiro's face, so he busied himself with picking up his board. Finally, he took a deep breath and looked up. "Hey man."

"Hi," Shiro repeated. "Anou, do you want to walk or sit?" He tried to make eye contact with Alex, but couldn't hold it. When he looked up, he just saw their last meeting, and he involuntarily raised a hand to touch his face where Alex had hit him.

"Walk, you know me, outside in the sun, I'll never be able to sit still." The comment and the illusion of their friendship allowed Alex to smile a bit. Of course when he looked over at Shiro and saw him touching his face, the smile was gone, replaced by biting his lip.

"Walk. Sou." Shiro stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked alongside Alex down the path. "How have you been? How is school?" Small tack. Even that was hard.

Alex swallowed hard against the lump in his throat before he could speak. Hard. Yeah. Sure was. "It's going good, you know, it's school. Just got through midterms and all that. How about you? Anything interesting going on?"

"Midterms, yeah. I am not very exciting, either. I . . ." Shiro looked up at Alex for a second and then lowered his head again. "I am just here, ne? Same Shiro." He wished.

Alex's gaze was on his feet, as one hand idly spun the wheels of the skateboard under his arm. "...Did you get help?" He asked with quiet concern.

Shiro nodded. "Sefton suggested some people, and Professor Xavier approved. They are hard, sometimes. Talking about what I did, what I would change if I could, how to make amends. It . . . it is not easy."

"I can't imagine it would be. But I'm glad your doing something about it." His voice was still quiet, though there was a hint of pride.

Shiro immediately latched onto that, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "I want to apologize to you again," he said finally. "I could not have imagined that I was hurting you. I was . . . happy with you. Nothing else occurred to me."

With a sigh, Alex looked up at him, his face sincere...but still kind of closed off. "The addiction didn't let you see it. I know that. But...you understand why I had to get away from you...right?" That was the worst part, that Shiro didn't know why Alex had to stop it, other then addiction.

"I understand now." Shiro would have to be blind, deaf, mute, and an amputee to not. "But I want you to talk to you again. I want to be your friend. That is all I want."

Alex walked in silence for a few minutes before a small smile came over him. "I'd like that...To be friends. I've missed you."

For those few minutes, Shiro's heart pounded, and a hundred scenarios of rejection played in his head. When Alex replied, he nearly shouted in relief. Instead, he just smiled. "And I you. I will show you that you can trust me."

"I hope so." He wondered if he should mention that he didn't want to move back to the mansion just yet..but they could deal with later. Right now, this was a good start.