He could make you see the world how it could be, in spite of the way it is.
"So this is the Doctor Stark."
Charles Xavier frowned as Logan spoke, his tone of voice was specific, as if he did not believe that the man currently laying on the medical table in front of him was the well-spoken doctor that many at the school share happy stories about.
"I didn't expect him to be so ready for a fight-" He paused, "I mean, look at him. He's tiny and he's been in and out for the past three weeks."
"It's been longer than that." Charles spoke in a dismissive way. Logan had only been here for the past three weeks, Nikolas longer.
Jean had long since left the room, a small smile on her lips at the thought of her old Professor returning to the school. Many of the mutants found inside the X-Men had been under the training of the young doctor and his return, despite the circumstances, brought joy to many of the students there.
The Professor could understand the curiosity behind Logan's words, though he did want to protest the phrasing. "He's always been like that." Charles said it with a shrug, looking back at Nikolas as he did.
"Tiny? Weak?" Logan looked nearly smug as he said it, though Charles knew that it was more because he did not want to show his true care for the small doctor.
He had been the one to find Nikolas weeks ago and ever since had found himself unable to leave the doctor's bed side. "He beat you."
"I slipped." Logan huffed, crossing his arms and leaning against the table holding Nikolas.
Charles nearly laughed.
He propped his head on his hand and fixed the young Doctor with a very specific look, his eyes glancing across his face for any sign that he was waking. Without meaning to, Charles started to speak about the Doctor, his words directed to Logan.
"He came when he was just a child and his first few weeks here he wouldn't speak. Everyone believed it was because he wasn't sure about his place in the school, it took him meeting Erik Lehnsherr, to learn that he was simply nonverbal." The Professor glanced to Logan, sensing his confusion, he clarified. "He wouldn't speak and didn't for a long time. It took years for him to gain some semblance of control, but the moment he had it Nikolas became a teacher here."
Logan hummed, "The kids were so excited to see him."
"Nikolas has the unique gift of being able to replicate the powers of those around him." Charles shrugged as he said it, a faint smile on his face at the memory associated with the gift. "Many students find that learning their gifts comes easier after Nikolas shows them-"
"Anyones powers?" Logan shook his head, "That's impossible."
Charles shook his head firmly, reaching forward to press a soft hand into Nikolas' forehead as he continued, "Not impossible, just rare."
It was as if Nikolas was aware that he was being spoken about, he shifted on the table and Charles retracted his hand quickly. The doctor's wings shuddered underneath him as he opened his eyes. "Professor?" His voice scratched at his throat and without prompting Logan offered him a glass of water.
"Hello Nikolas." Charles smiled as he said it, watching closely as the Doctor sat up and accepted the glass.
Nikolas took his time sipping from the glass, his eyes shifting between the Professor and the man whose name slipped from his mind. He easily could have found the name by simply glancing into the man's mind, but he held back, his hands shaking around the cold glass. He felt strange, as if everything from the past few weeks whirled like a storm in his mind as his eyes lingered on the larger man.
"How are you feeling?" Charles tilted his head as he looked at the doctor, his eyes narrowing on the color of the smaller man's eyes.
Nikolas frowned as he felt Charles' mind press at the sides of his. He flinched away.
"Do not." Nikolas pushed Charles' mind away from his, an unforgiving look in his eyes as the Professor physically reacted and turned his head away from the doctor.
When Charles spoke it was in a dismissive tone. He tapped the side of his head, "Old habits." Charles took in a deep breath before motioning to the man beside him. "This is Logan, you attacked him in the gardens. He brought you here and was concerned for your safety."
Nikolas nodded, ignoring the vague feeling of accusation that he felt as he looked over to Logan. The larger man looked as though he wanted to protest, but held back.
"It's good to meet ya." Logan held out his hand, looking only slightly apologetic the moment that Nikolas flinched backwards from the movement. "Sorry." He retracted his hand, awkwardly crossing his arms as he looked over to the Professor as if the man would instruct him on how to proceed with the conversation.
Nikolas wanted to correct the man's apology.
He wanted to say that he did not mind shaking the man's hand and to instead force the interaction that he did not actually want to go through. But he knew for their communication to move beyond the one or two word replies that Nikolas found himself capable of, he would have to allow the conversations to happen naturally.
"What happened?" When Nikolas finally spoke his words were directed at the Professor, he shifted again on the table, pushing his legs over the edge of it and wincing as he moved. "I can not remember."
Charles sighed, looking at the doctor's wings with a grimace. "You showed up two months ago severely injured. Scott found you on the perimeter of the grounds half-frozen. It was only because of Jean's quick work that you didn't suffer any permanent loss-" He trailed off, noticing the way that Nikolas was looking up at his wings in a dazed way. "You came to us with the injuries to your wings, do you know what happened?"
Nikolas blinked, his eyes moving from looking at his wings to the bridge of Logan's nose to the Professor nose. "I- I-" His mouth clicked shut, all words slipping from his mind as he attempted to answer the Professor's question. The knowledge that he had been unconscious for two months seemed to be more of a shock than anyone had expected.
Logan leaned forward, uncharacteristically soft as he spoke to Nikolas. "Hey, take your time." He looks to Charles. "Maybe a walk will help, I'll take him around the grounds-"
Charles looked apprehensive, but the moment Nikolas' face lit up he nodded. "Just around the grounds." It was said as a warning, he fixed a specific glare on Logan as if warning him to what would happen if anything went wrong.
Nikolas watched closely as the larger man made a cross over his heart and held his hand up, some sort of sign that the doctor could remember seeing previously, though he couldn't place the meaning specifically.
Logan smiled at Nikolas and the look almost didn't fit him. "Well, come on then Doc."
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Anyway the Wind Blows (Avengers Fanfiction)
FanfictionEndeavour Nikolas Stark is perfectly fine as is. As a child he had been extraordinary, finding a home among the friendliest of people at Charles Xavier's School For the Gifted, and finding himself Gifted in many ways just beyond the X-Gene in his DN...