Cringe-y One-Shots

Javis

James' heart thumped as he knocked on the door. He knocked again, impatient this time. Finally, after his fist was becoming sore, he realized his mistake. 'Mavis?' He thought, trying to push it out there. The telepath had explained it to him before; something about certain thoughts being louder than others. While it didn't make sense to him, surely THINKING about it would alert her.

The door swung open, revealing a blank-faced Mavis in a moody black shirt. She gave him a look. "If Xavier's is in trouble again, tell them I'm only a mutant every other weekend. And that I owe them nothing."

"Ouch!" He gave a short laugh. "We're actually fine this time. I came to see you." He rubbed the back of his neck as her eyebrow raised.

"Why." Her tone was flat, with barely an indication of it being a question. She leaned against the doorframe, tapping her foot against the rug.

"Who doesn't want to see an old friend?" He started slowly, daring to meet her gaze. Her mouth set itself firmly in a line, but she gave in with a sigh.

"Fine. You can visit." She stepped back to give him space, sweeping a hand out to her apartment. "It's a mess. Enjoy what you've brought on yourself."

"I will," he answered, maybe a tad too enthusiastically. He stepped inside, taking a look around. It wasn't as bad as he was expecting (certainly not as messy as his own apartment could get). There were some food wrappers here or there on the end tables, and one decorating the top of the couch, but all in all the place wasn't terrible.

He took a seat on the couch, daintily removing the wrapper behind him onto the coffee table. "So. I haven't seen you in awhile. I thought we could maybe.., catch up?"

"You're talking like I'm about to hit you over the head if you say the wrong thing," she observed, a small smile on her face. She sat beside him. "So, it can't have been that long."

"It felt long," he answered, leaning against the couch. "You've been to college, became a nurse, and stopped being a thief. That's a lot."

"It sounds like you don't need to be here catching up with me, since you already know what happened."

"Oh!" His cheeks reddened. "I swear I'm not a stalker-"

"It's fine," she cut in. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, an action that James found he watched a little too closely. "You really came to see me?"

"Yeah. And to say something." Inwardly, he gulped as she gave him an expectant look. He sat up, clearing his throat. His cheeks were still red, but his next words made them even redder. "I still like you. I still want to.., try us."

She was quiet for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "I pushed you away back then for a reason-"

"I know you did! That doesn't stop how I still feel. Nothing about it has changed," he said earnestly. "We're both older now, and a lot around us has changed, but my feelings never did." He searched her face for an answer, hopeful when her expression softened.

"A lot has changed," she started slowly. "I would like to try again."

He froze, afraid that even a breath would break this moment and cruelly reveal it as a dream. She glanced back to him, chuckling.

"Your thoughts are a whirlwind. You're going to give me a headache."

"Sorry!" He broke into a smile. "This means I can definitely call you Mav.., right?"

She raised her signature eyebrow, but gave in with another sigh. "Fine.., but only if I get to call you iceboy."