Playing With Fire : Andy Strucker

REuNited

My eyes were closed, but my mind was awake. I thought I heard something stirring from next door.

I tried to brush it aside, figuring that I was imagining things. After a few seconds, there was it again.

I forced myself to open my eyes as I began to wake up. I reached out for the hair tie on my bedside table and tied up my hair into a bun.

Slipping off my bed, I opened the door to find the source of the noise. I tip toed to make as little noise as possible given that it was around 4am.

I felt a small tremor on the ground beneath my bare feet and knew what happened or in this case- who.

I quickened my steps to the door and gave a knock. "Andy?"

There was no response but I knocked once more before pushing open the door. Andy was wide awake but look completely frazzled. He must have another dream again.

He told me of occasional dreams he shared with his sister. A bond forged from the connection of their powers.

I went to scoot over and placed myself beside him. I stretched a hand out over his to comfort him, not saying a word.

As he regained his sense of surroundings, Andy turned to me and enveloped me into a tight hug. I returned the gesture as I placed both hands onto his back, his head resting on the crook of my neck.

"I dreamt that I went to visit my family's apartment. My sister opened the door, I wanted to talk to her. I needed her to talk about the dreams." Andy started off explaining.

"She didn't want to. She hated me. She just couldn't understand what we're doing-" I could tell he was getting agitated so I started to stroke his back up to calm him down.

"Hey hey hey. I know it's a shared dream but it may not be what she actually feels. She's just venting. She needs to. She also has the right to." I reasoned.

"Maybe it's better to have a heart to heart talk, let everything out. Be it the good or bad. That's the only way you can move on."

I let go from the hug first to see how he was doing. He wore a tired, slightly desolated expression. He knew that there has to be a day where he needs to face his family again. He needs to prepare for whatever is to come.

"When the time comes, I will be there if you need me." I reassured him, knowing that he was still feeling gloomy since Rebecca's incident. He has not truly gotten over it but he's moving on for sure.

"Ren. You will never leave me, right?" He asked almost despondently.

"Don't worry. You cannot get rid of me easily." He took my hand in his and brought it to his lips, giving it a kiss. We both smiled at each other, knowing that we will stand by each other  no matter what.
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Lorna, Andy and I were gathered in front of the television in the morning after breakfast. A segment hosted by Benedict Ryan was on air when he went on a tirade of fake news to further tarnish the reputations of mutants.

"How he can lie like that? Most of the people were innocent." Andy started to get stirred up.

Lorna just shook her head, remarking that the reporter's career was built on stirring up hate for mutants.