Nathan and Alex, Tuesday morning

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Alex seeks out Nathan to have a little talk about Shiro. He's actually rather pleased by what he hears, poltergeist or no poltergeist.


He was developing a real fondness for the sunroom. Sitting in his wheelchair, Nathan drifted off into a light doze, as he seemed to do so often these days whenever he found himself sitting in the sun. He hadn't had his physical therapy appointment yet today, but the constant low-level fatigue was still there. Whenever he was in one place for long enough not doing anything, a nap was the inevitable result.

After looking down in the medlab just in case, Alex had been wandering around the mansion looking for Nathan. He'd gotten an earful from Shiro about his last conversation with the telepath and Alex wanted to hear some of these things for himself. He didn't think Nathan was as much a bastard as Shiro made him out to do.

When he first saw the wheelchair in the sun room, Alex's first thought was Scott had done something to his knee. But further inspection showed that it was indeed the object of his search. Seeing he was dozing. Alex moved to sit in a nearby chair, content to wait.

The awareness of another presence drew Nathan quickly back to wakefulness and he blinked, then blinked again as he saw Scott's little brother sitting there watching him. "Hey, Alex," he said, his voice a bit hoarse, and rubbed at his eyes. "Don't tell me someone had the room booked or something? I was just catching some sun and drifted off..."

Alex grinned as the older man woke up. "No, no, didn't come here for the room. I actually came here to talk to you..." He looked down at his lap, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Looking for me, huh?" He had always rather liked Alex, although he'd rarely exchanged more than small talk with the young man. Despite his experiences, he seemed to have a generally sunny outlook on life, and Nathan couldn't help but appreciate that. "This wouldn't have anything to do with your roommate, would it?"

"Former room mate and yes it would." Alex grinned, glad he wouldn't have to skirt around the subject. He had nothing against Nathan, it was just the older man had a very intimidating presence. "Last time you two chatted I got quite the earful."

"I'm not surprised. I made myself quite a nuisance for the better part of a week, then said a lot of things he didn't really want to hear," Nathan admitted, shifting a little in the wheelchair and wincing. "He's convinced I was being malicious. Maybe I enjoyed it a little, but I did have a point behind it."

"Would you mind giving me the gist of the conversation from your point of view? I want to help Shiro as much as I can, but I know better then just to judge from his rant." But a small smile did sneak up on the blond. "Though it was amusing...even I figured it out before he did."

Nathan thought. A lot of it was team-related stuff that he really shouldn't be talking to Alex about, but maybe he could get across some of the major issues without going into detail. Shiro would definitely need someone to support him while he figured out just what it took to set your pride aside and obey orders...

"Has he told you much about what happened on Muir Island at New Year's?"

Alex nodded quickly. "About him not obeying orders, yes, he did...and if this is, you know, team related, I understand. I just...when you're the grounding force for three full time X-Men and one trainee...you hear more then your average student." He bit his bottom lip and hoped he wasn't being too forward or imposing on Nathan, but it was true. Between Lorna, Scott, Hank and Shiro, Alex heard a lot.

"Did he mention that it was my order he didn't obey?"

Again Alex nodded. "And he's cursed your name ever since."

"It's ironic, you know," Nathan said dryly, "and I said this to him, too. Admittedly, I did my almighty best to tear him a new asshole over it at the time, but part of me's a little appalled that someone who holds honor in such high esteem can, simply because I happened to yell at him in January, so cheerfully ignore the fact that I nearly burned myself out helping to save his life in August."

He shook his head. "That's not really important, though," Nathan went on dismissively. "What is important is that if he goes on to join the team, he's liable to have to take other orders passed through me. That's what telepaths very often do, out in the field. If the coms are down for whatever reason or it's just better to communicate in a way that can't be as easily overheard."

"One thing I have learned from being Shiro's friend is sometimes he twists honor around so much to fit his purpose that doesn't make sense to any one but him...but it's still important to him, over anything else." Biting his bottom lip again, Alex looked down at his lap. "Shiro...I know he's not the easiest person to get along with. For a while, I was his only friend. He feels that someone has to earn his respect. It's harsh but it's true. I'm still not sure how I did it." Alex paused and took a deep breath. "I know it's not my place to ask, but would it be too much for you to give him another chance, with an open mind?"

"I already have given him another chance," Nathan said, easily enough. "Was rather easy to do, actually. It's not my job to determine whether or not he's fit to train, after all - he'll prove that himself soon enough. As for an open mind..." He shrugged. "I don't like to think I have a closed mind on the subject, Alex. I have concerns, yes, and I'm afraid I can't put them aside. But I'm not going to get carried away with them, either." He smiled. "Sometimes the best thing to do is to watch for a while," he said, "which is what I'm planning to do. Since right now, there really isn't much I can do but watch."

That made Alex smile. "Thank you...I know Shiro won't understand that, so I'll thank you for both of us. He really wants this, to help people with his powers...and I want to support him however I can." Then he stood up, suddenly nervous in the other's presence now that his mission had been accomplished.

Nathan looked at him curiously. "You're not entirely comfortable around me, are you, Alex?"

Alex shurgged helplessly. "I don't really know you, I'm sorry. I seem to have a very limited range of friends..." Oh who am I kidding! Alex thought to himself and sighed. "Your powers and their intensity...they just give me uncomfortable vibes of the Black Queen...I'm sorry..."

Nathan frowned a little. "I didn't... think that my mutation was much like Selene's. I'm much more of a telekinetic than anything else, Alex... "

"You're just very powerful...I get nervous at the slightest thing when my mind makes the connection no matter how absurd." He shurgged again helplessly. "I have a hard time around Amanda too, but she knows that..."

Nathan regarded Alex thoughtfully, then looked around the room. There was a pop can in the garbage by the door, he noticed as he extended his TK out in that direction. It would do. He concentrated, briefly, and it came floating up and over to his hand.

"Maybe I can reassure you a bit," he mused, and concentrated on the can, reshaping it. There wasn't a whole lot of metal in it, but there was enough to make something. Whimsy made him pick a tiny figurine on a skateboard; he'd seen Alex out there practicing often enough.

It was a strain, but not too much. It only took sinking a couple of perceptual levels, until he could rearrange the structure of the metal and form the little statuette. It wound up with a hint of red in the metal, because of the coloring of the can, but he thought it added something.

Alex watched him curiously then watched as the metal reformed itself, not as in awe as anyone else would be, he did live with Lorna after all. But still, he was impressed by Nathan's skill and was hit with the small twinge of jealousy that came when he saw someone with that much control over their powers.

"Here," Nathan said with a smile, handing him the little figurine. "Just take it as a reminder that those of us with a lot of power aren't always malevolent?" He grinned a bit wryly. "Although you'd think your girlfriend and your brother would be proof of that, too."

Smiling bashfully, Alex took it, turning it over thoughtfully. "Thank you...and I will. It's just, a slow process, ya know?"

"So long as it's still a process, you're doing just fine." Nathan was starting to realize that the impromptu artistic impulse hadn't been one he should have followed, though. His back was starting to hurt, not just ache - too much of a strain. He raised a slightly unsteady hand and glanced at his watch. "Could you maybe do me a favor? Help me get downstairs...? I've got therapy shortly..."

"Hey no problem. I'm used to helping invalids around lately..." Alex grinned genuinely this time and moved behind Nathan's wheelchair.

"Thanks," Nathan said a bit unevenly as Alex started to push him out of the room. "And may I just say that being this much of an invalid really sucks?"

"Why do you think I don't want to be an X-Man? Someone has to be around to take care of you all!" Alex felt so much better now that he could kid with the older man, that he even had a smile on his face as he pushed the chair.

"Accident-prone, we are," Nathan said wryly. "Or me, at least. Although I do intend to work on that. It'd be hard to chase around after my soon-to-be-child in a wheelchair, after all, and the little prodigy is liable to pick up crawling indecently early."

"Around here, you'll be lucky if your kid learns to crawl before he learns to fly or something of the sort. But even in a wheel chair, I think you'll be a great father..." Alex wasn't quite sure where that had come from, but then, Nathan had managed to calm Alex's fears in one serious meeting.

Nathan glanced up at him, mustering a real smile despite the pain. "Well, thank you. I do like hearing that."

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"One thing I have learned from being Shiro's friend is sometimes he twists honor around so much to fit his purpose that doesn't make sense to any one but him...but it's still important to him, over anything else."

You . . . know me all too well. Stop pointing out my flaws.