xp_logs | To see the sunrise

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Monday morning. Alison and Miles have a surprise for Scott.

Scott stretched on the lawn, preparing for his morning run. Ali still met him out here sometimes, when their schedules meshed. The sky was clear and crisp, with dawn still a half-hour or so off.

The faint scuff of sneakers on the cleared steps of the mansion announced her arrival, although it took Scott no time at all to realize that she wasn't alone this morning. When he turned around to look, he spotted Alison wandering down the steps with an oddly contented sort of smile, Miles firmly clinging to her leg, which accounted for the odd shuffle step shuffle step he'd heard.

"Morning!" she called out cheerfully, looking down to a very wide-eyed Miles who seemed unable to tear his gaze away from Scott, and chuckled ruefully. "Got a little while, Scott? We kinda need your help for something..."

Scott continued stretching, watching Alison warily. She had her "Up To Something" expression on her face, the blatant one that she wasn't afraid for anyone to see. "Going to be hard to run like that," he nodded at Miles, smiling slightly.

The smile grew wider, the pleased look in her eyes brightening along with it. "That's ok. Missing out once won't hurt," she winked, even as Miles' grip on her tightened, followed by a near convulsive gulp. The darkness of pre-dawn still lingered about the grounds, turning everything into myriad shades of grey.

"Miles worried," he whispered up to Alison, eyes still fixed on Scott. "Miles not want to break anything..."

"Shhh... you'll do just fine, sweetie," she freed her leg and kneeled down to face him, tugging his scarf into place gently, patting his cheek. "You ready?"

A hesitant nod answered her, before the little boy squared his shoulders, and turned to face Scott.

"Scott take a walk with Miles?" he asked, eyes a bit wide but determined, without a doubt.

That made him pause, looking at Ali for a long moment, confusion and curiosity in his expression. Then he knelt down, meeting Miles on his level. "A walk, hmm? Sure, Miles. Anywhere special you want to go?"

Miles seemed to be reassured by his reaction, and sneaking one last look at Alison, reached out to take Scott's hand. "Yes, Miles know exactly where to go," he said, braving a smile as he tugged lightly on Scott's hand, waving once to Alison as they slowly walked away.

Scott took Miles' hand, and standing back up, started walking with him. It wasn't until he was a few steps away from Ali that he realized the constant pressure in head was gone.

The ever-present pain, something he'd dealt with so long that he'd grown accustomed to the sensation, had vanished at Miles' touch. He looked back at Ali, a wide grin splitting his face apart as he finally got it.

"Come on, Miles," He swung the boy up on his back in a quick, swift motion, holding him by his legs and encouraging Miles' arms to lock around his neck. "Let's run." So saying, he began running toward the edge of the grounds, laughter bouncing out of him with each faster step, each longer stride..

Alison's laughter faded into the distance as they sped away, replaced instead with gleeful yells of encouragement from Miles as he pointed towards a specific spot he and Alison had hunted out the previous day. "Faster! Scott go faster! Wheeeeeeeeeeee!"

"Wheeeeeeeee!!" Scott joined in Miles' shouting, pounding the ground faster, but always watching for holes or bad spots in the ground. He didn't want to go tumbling to the ground. Being guided by Miles toward the patch of ground they'd obviously picked out, he scouted out a spot before he gathered himself and did a leap in the air, laughing with Miles' glee.

Laughter rang through the slowly lightening forest, even as Miles gestured wildly to be set down, scrambling to pull something out of the snow - a basket, with of all things, a thermal blanket inside. He set it down on the ground haphazardly, then grinned, earlier worries seemingly utterly forgotten. "Scott sit down now. Facing that way!"

He set Miles down where he gestured, and put his hands on his hips. "You two planned this, hmm? I'll have to remember that for the future. Your mom is very sneaky, and she's obviously starting you young." He held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, that way, I'm sitting, I'm sitting."

Taking his seat on the blanket, Scott pulled Miles to him, resting the boys' back against his side. "Gotta keep you warm out here," he said, wrapping his arm around Miles. Not many in the mansion were probably willing to be this close to him. Scott was not one of those, and realized belatedly that Miles only knew this now, for certain.

"So, now what?" Scott hesitated in reaching for the visor himself. Ali and Miles had planned this, let the boy tell him what was next.

Miles twisted around, and reached up hesitantly - but his resolve firmed as small fingers lightly pressed on either side of his visor. "Now, Miles ask for permission." Clearly, this was a very important step, and one Miles clung to fiercely. Hands still on the visor but no pulling, blue eyes looked up at him, a bit wide with returning worry - but also a tinge of hope. "May Miles take of Scott's visor, now?"

Scott resolved then and there not to cry. Not yet. "Let me close my eyes first, okay?" He did so, squeezing them shut tight. Jean would have loved to see this. he thought wistfully, and inclined his head slightly. "Go ahead, Miles."

Taking a deep breath and holding it, Miles tugged at the visor gently, carefully sliding off and then looking quickly towards the horizon... yes, perfect. They'd timed it well the previous day, he and Alison. He carefully tucked the visor away on top of the basket, leaning over Scott's knee to do so, then reached up and turned Scott's face just so. "Scott open eyes now," he said, voice wavering slightly, eyes fixed his face.

Scott's head turned, a tear leaking out from behind the compressed lids, ignoring his resolve. He reached up and took Miles' hand in his and sighed shakily. "I'm scared, Miles." He wanted to make sure that the kid was away from his face, should something happen that caused the dampening of his powers to fail. "I haven't done this in a long, long time."

"Miles never do this at all," was the plain response. "Miles always have to use power to... hurt other kids. Keep them from running away. Miles... never able to do something nice for someone, before," his voice tightened, small and lost. "Alison said Miles could help Scott..." he trailed off uncertainly, clinging to Scott's hand. "Miles scared too!"

He laughed, squeezing Miles' hand. "Then we'll be scared together." He took a breath, let it out, then another, and opened his eyes, without the visor, without something blocking the force blasts, for the first time in years.

Only to see, as Miles firmly tucked his free hand under his chin to keep his eyes fixed on the horizon, the blazing colors slowly melting into the sky, turning it the clouds myriad shades of oranges, yellows and dark pink as the sunrise colored the sky, greeting him to a new day.

Scott blinked, and blinked again, watching the sky change colors without a reddish tint to it. He kept blinking, this time fighting back the tears that were threatening to make him miss this event. Only closing his eyes to keep the tears at bay as best he could, Scott kept a hold of the young mutant's hand, gripping it tight, but not enough to hurt. "Would you look at that..." he whispered.

Miles, however, was not even thinking of looking at the sunrise. He was watching something just as special, and his heart soared with the realization that Alison had been right. The look on Scott's face, something he'd never seen before with anyone, never mind because of him, because of his power, brought a brilliant smile to his childish features. "Miles sees," he answered back, giddyness overflowing in his voice.

Scott looked away from the sunrise then, to the kid beside him. "Yeah, I'll bet you do." A hand reached up to wipe below the absent visor, and Scott caught sight of his hand. "So strange..." He looked at it for a moment before wiping his eyes. "Everything's so beautiful this way. Thanks to you, Miles. Thank you. Thank you and your wonderful mutant power." He grinned at the boy, and leaned over to place a kiss on his forehead.

A tearful sob was the only response to that, and finally letting go, Miles leaned forward, burring his face against Scott's shoulder, body shaking with tears. A release of fear and pain and self-loathing. Tinged with relief and hope. "Miles can help," he said through the tears, smiling to himself. "Miles can help." Wonder echoed in the words, soon followed by childish laughter as he looked up at Scott again, smiling brilliantly. "Miles can help!" he shouted, exuberantly!

"Of course Miles can help. Just don't go bounding away from me in your exuberance, otherwise there might be a problem!" Scott laughed, pulling him into a hug. "Everyone who is a mutant can do something to help others. They just have to find out what that is, and then do it to the best of their ability."

Eyes wide for a moment, Miles stopped the bouncing, reaching out to get a firm grasp on Scott's coat, just in case. "Miles... remember that," he nodded slowly. Plans would have to be made. He needed to talk to Artie. He bounced a bit in place, hand still securely fastened to Scott's coat, and grinned anew. "Miles and Scott watch sunrise now," he nodded firmly, and turned around to sit as well, looking up at the skies.

"Yes, let's." Scott turned to watch, peacefully, the clear sunrise. The tears had all gone, or at least held back for now. The sun rose, and the sky lightened, with the few streaks of clouds gaining bright colors.

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I have just died of cute overdose. I am survived by my parents, various uncles, aunts, and cousins, and my dog. Visitation will be tomorrow afternoon, followed by a short, tasteful service at which I expect you all to cry.

Great job, you guys. :)