Marvel One Shots [On Hold]

1) Unacknowledged Love - Charles Xavier (Young)

"Charles! Stop," she sheiks, happily. She's laughing uncontrollably, almost out of breath, both from the running, and the tickling.

Alice and Charles have known each other for a few years now, ever since she arrived at the X Mansion. They have gotten close, and had become very good friends. She wanted nothing more than that, and she could sense he was the same way about it. Unless she just had a clouded vision, she never thought about wanting more with Charles.

He caught Alice running out of the rose bushes in the garden outside. The two of them decided to play a game of hide and seek tag. When he caught her unexpectedly, he started tickling her nonstop. Alice's sides hurt too much and she gasped for air. He stopped, noticing that she couldn't breathe. He sat upright, kneeling down beside her on the gravel. Alice smiled wickedly at him, "Jeez, you didn't need to tickle me that much!"

"Well, I thought it was necessary," he exclaimed, "you were hidden for so long that I got frustrated. So that was your punishment."

"An interesting punishment, I'll give you that one," she says laughing, still trying to catch her breath.

Then he helped her up, only to grab her by the waist and swing her around. Alice screamed and laughed. She kept telling Charles to put her down but he refused. He carried her over to a bench, pretending to set her down, but he pulled her back up into the air once more. She screamed and laughed again. They both laughed. It had been a long time since they were this happy together.

He set her down on a different bench, and she tensed up, waiting to be thrown into the air again.

He shook his head, "No, Alice. My arms are getting tired." He looked at her with a wild expression on his face. She laughed, completely and utterly confused. She had never seen that expression before. She stood up and walked a couple paces back and forth.

"What's wrong? You look like you're going to throw up," he stated while laying his back down on the stone surface of the bench.

Could this be another side to Charles? He's never really acted this way. Couldn't be, that's preposterous.

He kept staring at her and she was about to ask him to wipe the stupid look off his face, when all of a sudden, he leaped up tackled her in a bear hug. She staggered back, then stood there with her eyes wide, expressionless. Her hands were at her side, and she felt extremely awkward. A few students jogged by and gave her odd looks.

"Um, Charles," she asks, "what are you doing?"

"You know, Alice," he states with an annoyed tone, "you could hug back." She knows he's being sarcastic. He does this all the time.

"Do I have to?" He's still holding onto her, making the girl feel awkward on purpose.

"I'm not letting go until you wrap your arms around me," he taunts.

She sighs, and knows that there's no getting away from this trick. She lightly touches his back with her hands, "Okay, Charles," she says patting his back gently, "let me go, please."

He lets go of Alice and stares at her, looking extremely confused, "Are you okay, Alice?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"It's just... I'm not sure," he states while furrowing his brow.

Alice sighs and apologizes, "I'm sorry Charles. I'm not quite sure what's been going on with me lately. I've had mixed emotions about everything and it annoys the crap out of me."

She stands there, looking sad into his soft, cerulean eyes. She always adored how they were so gentle and kind, even when he got flustered or frustrated. She couldn't help it but take a couple steps up to him, getting an even closer look at his eyes. Oh,God. His eyes are so beautiful. She kept thinking and didn't realize that she had one hand cupping his face, her thumb brushing his cheek. Alice also didn't realize that he had his hands sitting on her waist.

He slightly smiled at her, "Hm, looks like you changed you mind again."

"Like you know anything about minds," she toys, laughing lightly.

A moment of silence passed between them. They kept staring into each other's eyes and smiling. Suddenly, he leaned in and kissed her passionately on the lips. It caused her to tense up. She then realized that she had wanted this from the beginning, and she didn't want to ruin this opportunity. Alice kisses him back, equally as passionately, or maybe even more. Her heart flutters and she gets a shiver of adrenaline that runs though her. She wraps her arms around his neck, and he holds her tighter, closer. She keeps kissing him, wanting him more and more. This is what Alice needed to forget the past; it's what she longed for.

Charles pulls back to get a gulp of air. She didn't want the kiss to end; it was all too magical, all too fast. She wanted to re-live the kiss, make time slow down. It was her first kiss, and it was beautiful.

Alice brings her hands down to his shoulders and buries her head into his neck. His skin is soft and warm to the touch, and she relaxes, closing her eyes. He holds her tight, careful not to let go. They just stand there in silence until Charles starts to sway back and forth, very slow. Almost like they're dancing.

"Charles, what are you doing," she asks, looking up at his face. She's swaying with him now.

"I'm slow dancing with you," he looks confused, "what does it look like I'm doing?"

She laughs and lays her head back down on his shoulder, "I'm not sure Charles."

"You think it's relaxing, don't you," he asks.

"Charles, I thought you promised not to read my mind anymore."

"I wasn't," he exclaims. She lifts her head again and glares at him. "I swear to God, Alice. I can feel your muscles relaxing." She sighs and lays her head back down for the third time, closing her eyes, taking in the moment while she can.

They still hold onto each other and slow dance for what seems like hours; his hands still wrapped around her waist and her hands still on his shoulders.

"You know," Charles starts, "I care about you a lot, Alice."

"I know Charles," she says, "I care a lot about you too." She smiles and leans in to kiss him again, but he stops her by tilting his head back even further. Alice gives him a confused look, but he just gazes dreamily at her eyes, skirting from one to the other.

"But," he finally speaks, "I also love you," he smiles at her, waiting for a response.

She's speechless by what he just said. She feels the same way. "I love you too, Charles."