Shiro and Alex, Wednesday evening

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Not so long after this post, Shiro and Alex meet outside so Shiro can show off and Alex can test a theory. There is some bantering, some mocking, and some misunderstanding. But it is all resolved with a game of Mortal Kombat.


After seeing Shiro's entry in his journal, Alex made a few comments before signing off from his laptop. Pulling a sweat shirt and sneakers, he dumped the computer next to Lorna's on her desk and practically ran outside, waiting for Shiro. Anything that had to do with his powers usually scared him but this theory had been bugging him for too long. And if taunting and showing off was going to go Shiro out, he was all for it!

Shiro had been buzzing with energy all week long. He was guessing that it was from Jamie's pseudo-beach, where he'd spent a lot of time with Leyu. Scott thought that he was acting funny? Whenever he was down there, Shiro was as giddy as the day his powers returned in October. And whenever he left, he felt full of power. Which is what had led him to experiment. Now that he'd had some success, and Alex wanted a demonstration, Shiro turned off his computer and went outside, not bothering to pull a coat on over his t-shirt. Surrounded by his trademark golden glow to keep him warm in the cold almost-winter night, he nodded to Alex when he saw him. "Hey."

Alex nodded, glad that his own mutation provided warmth as well, though without the nifty glow. He noticed the spring in Shiro's step and hadn't missed the fact that both his brother and his best friend were giving him a race for his money in the hyper department. Of course, that thought just made him smile. "So, what's this new trick you've learned, hmm?"

"It is far from perfected," Shiro said as a disclaimer, rubbing his hands together rapidly. "And it is draining, too. The concentration I need for it . . . No matter. It is really cool." After flexing his fingers, Shiro cupped his hands in front of him and closed his eyes, focusing his power tightly into ball form. A few sparks flared to life, but nothing remotely fireball-esque. "Damn. Hold on."

Alex raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. While for Shiro it was pathetic, he couldn't help but feel slightly jealous that he had to concentrate on someone he loved practically dying before he could get even that much power out. But then, an idea hit him. "Give me your hands, Shiro." Before he could refuse, Alex took them in his and held them, wondering if he had to do anything except hold on to see if his theory was right.

The moment Alex touched his hands, Shiro's eyes snapped open. If he thought he was full before, he was bloated now. "Alex . . ." he said, almost panting. He'd felt this kind of power before, but it had required him to push himself. Like when he fought Baymax in Tokyo, or the Enchantress's forces in Asgard. "What are you doing?" he asked, unaware that his aura was growing brighter by the second.

Shiro might not have noticed, but Alex did and he couldn't stop the smirk. Slowly, he pulled away, putting his hands in the front pocket of his hoodie before nodding at him. "Just testing something. Try your fireball thing again now."

Blinking in confusion, Shiro shook his head and took a step back. "Okay." He rubbed his hands together again, as if it were a necessary part of the process. Cupping his hands and closing his eyes again, he concentrated harder, trying to force the unexpected new power to shape into a sphere. "Here . . ." he said softly, as the aura surrounding his hands slowly coalesced into a ball, no bigger that a tennis ball.

Alex grinned, both at the fact his experiment had worked and at Shiro's accomplishment. "Dude, that's awesome!"

Shiro couldn't help but laugh in amazement. He carefully lowered his left arm, letting the ball float about an inch or two above his right palm, treating it like something fragile. "It does not do much but look nice as of yet, but I might be able to make it explode or something with enough practice."

That put a strain on Alex' smile, again jealousy creeping up, though he kept it as much as he could out of his voice. "If you ever need a power boost, let me know. Seems my theory was correct."

Slowly closing his hand, Shiro extinguished the fireball with a soft pop and sizzle. "How did you do that?"

He gave a half hearted shrug before continuing. "Seems to be I'm leaking. Remember when you were sick right before you got yours powers back? You got sick right after I left for Hawaii. My theory is you were in withdrawal because you body didn't have my power to leech off of anymore. Then when I came back, my sudden presence again kick started your powers." Alex chewed on his bottom lip as he thought the next part out carefully. "I think it's a side effect from Her draining...the good news is, I doubt I'll blow up anymore since it's escaping on it's own. The bad news is, I doubt I'll be able to harness it properly until I can dampen the flow out of my body..." Now he was more talking to himself, staring at a point past Shiro's shoulder.

Shiro nodded, considering that. It made sense, and he never would have seen it. "I guess you are not as dumb as we think you are," he teased, although his tone was as serious as usual. "Have you spoken to your brother or Dr. MacTaggart about this? They would know what to do. Maybe they can get that Forge kid to make you something like he made Alison, except not as form-fitting and ugly." Looking up at Alex, Shiro cocked his head to the side, confused by the blank look on his face. "Alex? Are you alright?"

He gave Shiro an amused smirk at the 'dumb' comment, then shook his head. "No, it's only been a theory I've had, wasn't sure if I was even right. They have more important things to worry about than just a theory. But now I'd better tell Scott." That and Shiro's question made him sigh. "I don't...I don't know. If I'm alright. Just lately thinking about college, and getting all this under control so I can go...If this doesn't work...you might be getting your wish Shiro. I might be staying here in the fall..."

"Alex, that's . . ." He sighed, grasping for the right words. "I do not want you to stay." That was a pretty blatant lie. "I do not want you to go either, but I do not want you to be here if that is not what you want. You can and will get your powers under control so you can return to Hawaii."

"And I don't want to leave you. But I'm glad you acknowledge I have to go back." Then he dropped his head, a bashful smile on his face. "Thanks Shiro." The two stood outside for a bit before Alex looked up thoughtfully. "Wanna try your fireball trick again? I have an idea..."

It felt cold all of a sudden. Whether it was from not using his powers to keep him warm enough or from Alex's comment about "having" to go back, Shiro was not sure. "I do not know if I have the en . . ." But Shiro stopped mid-sentence when he saw the curious and determined look on his friend's face. "Okay."

Grinning slightly, Alex walked behind Shiro. "I have a feeling skin to skin would work better so don't go spouting your gay-stuff again. This is completely for scientific purposes!" He could help but tease slightly, but after all of Shiro's worries over the kiss, he really didn't want to get his friend worked up. Slowly, he crept one hand under Shiro's shirt to place on the small of his back. "Try now...maybe the constant energy from me will help."

"Okama ja nai yo," Shiro muttered angrily. "I have to worry about you now, since you are the one putting your hand up my shirt." To say that he was feeling awkward and uncomfortable would not do his mental state justice. It was just really odd. He rubbed his hands and then cupped them, focusing on the fireball and not on the fact that his best friend was feeling him up.

Alex rolled his eyes playfully. "I'm helping you with your new trick, dumb ass. Try concentrating more on it than just my hand. Trust me, I don't wanna touch anything else!" He said it truthfully, he didn't. Alex still didn't understand why Shiro got so worked up about the whole thing and he could at least accept the help. Though he did have to admit, it was amusing to watch Shiro squirm by just touching his back.

"I can just imagine what rumors would be passed along if someone just happened to come outside now." Feeling energy flow from Alex's hand to his own body, he drew it between his hands, focusing it into another fist-sized fireball. "Done."

"You know I did encourage Scott joining us..." Alex taunted, giggling at the reaction he got form Shiro over being caught like this by his brother. "Well now that you've got, try something with it...try making it explode or something."

Shiro sighed. "The last thing I need is for your brother, who is writing a recommendation for my application to university, mind you, to see this and come to conclusions." Tendrils of flame from his fingers licked the fireball, which pulsed at an even rate, like a heart beat. "I do not think I have enough power to make it explode, but we shall see." Shiro put one foot forward and slowly raised his cupped hands above him, like he was about to throw a baseball. "Here goes nothing," he said as he released it. It flew a good twenty or thirty feet before it fizzled into nothing.

Alex eyes went wide. "Hey, there was no explosion but that wasn't half bad..."

"But too anticlimactic for my tastes," Shiro said mournfully. He was getting tired, and just barely stopped himself from wobbling on his feet. "And it is very draining."

Alex's hands steadied him, both on his shoulders and on top of his shirt. "Wow, dude. Then that's definitely enough for today. But I still wanna try again sometime...if you don't mind, that is?" He teased, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Pervert." Brushing hair away from his face, Shiro nodded and began to make his way back inside. "We shall. Although I should not use you as a crutch, because the day might come when you will not be around and the only source of energy I have is the Sun."

Alex followed shrugging, "True, but it might make figuring out the basics a bit easier so you can concentrate more on forming the energy than figuring out where it's coming from..." What he didn't add was, if he couldn't use his powers himself, it made Alex happy to know they could help someone else, especially Shiro. "Now I think a little Mortal Kombat is in order, before Leyu tries to drag me down to Boiler Beach again..."

"I thought you hated that place because it does not resemble the 'real' beaches with which you are so familiar," Shiro said mockingly as he opened the doors to the mansion and stepped inside, closing them after Alex. "She just wants to see you in swimming trunks."

"I do hate it, thus why I don't want your little sister pulling the whole cute thing and dragging me down there." Though the swimming trunks comment earned Shiro a playful shove.

Shiro spared Alex a brief glare over his shoulder, tempted to release just enough energy to give the air between him and Alex enough force to knock him over. But that would be mean-spirited. "She will still do it, you know, regardless of Mortal Kombat."

Alex returned the glare by sticking out his tongue playfully. Oh how he loved teasing his best friend. "Well, I'm hoping Lorna will need me before then...it's a possibility you know!"

"Yeah, 'need' you." There was no spite in his voice. Nope, none at all. "I am so happy sometimes that I am not psychic."

Now that earned Shiro a glare. "Something wrong, dude?"

"I am just saying that her 'need' for you is not something I ever want broadcast through my head," Shiro explained calmly. "How the psis sleep in a place full of depravity is beyond me." Now that was an obvious tease.

It may have been a tease but Alex still didn't like what it implied. "Shiro, for Christ's sake that's not what I meant! Do you think that's all Lorna and I do anymore?"

Turning around to face Alex, Shiro put his hands up in a defensive manner. "Sefton has this expression that she uses . . . shit, what is it? Don't get your pants into a bunch, or something? Kuso, I don't remember. Anyway, I am sorry. I did not mean to suggest that."

Alex opened his mouth to retort, but quickly shut it to avoid saying something he knew he would regret. Then he sighed and shook his head. "Shiro, don't apologize...just...geez please tell me that that's not how you see me and Lorna now. Because it's not..."

"Of course not, Alex," Shiro responded, trying to sound as honest as possible. "I know what you feel for Lorna goes a lot deeper than that."

He couldn't stop the small nod of satisfaction that came after hearing that, but then he sighed again. "It does...I mean...you're the only person I've told and it would kill me if you saw us that way..." He shuddered then gave Shiro a half hearted smile. "Mortal Kombat? Now? Please?"

"Does having your heart ripped out or body explode in a video game make your feel better?" Shiro asked, turning around again to continue back to his room. "You are an odd man, Alex."

"You know me, the master of changing the subject!"

"Simply uncanny," Shiro remarked.