"Grapefruit, mango, peaches, and lime; a sweet life." Sweet Life by Frank Ocean
The next few hours were a blur to Lilli. The others had ran in to see the message from Kurt and were just as shell shocked as she was. After a few moments of panic and what-are-we-going-to-do, the team quickly pulled together and started formulating a plan; now not just with the intent of taking back the school, but also of rescuing Warren and Kurt. The atmosphere in the bunker was hectic with the X-Men constantly running about to get this or that. But Lilli was grateful for it, since it gave her something to focus on and keep her distracted from thinking about what was happening to Kurt and Warren.
The X-Men decided to stop stealing back kids. It was too risky now and they couldn't afford to run into Cas or especially Kezing. They would instead send a few of the X-Men over to Kezing's lair, rescue Kurt and Warren, and distract Kezing from the school somehow. When Kezing left, hopefully with Cas, the rest of the X-Men would capture the Kezing agents and take the school back over.
It was easy.
Well, that's what Lilli kept telling herself as she laid in bed that night, ruminating on the plan over and over again. She and Peter were leaving for Kezing's lair the next morning and Lilli couldn't stop worrying about what would happen. What if they got caught too? What if they got killed? What if the plan went terribly and this was the end of the Xavier Institute and the X-Men?
But these worries were infinitesimal compared to the heavy thoughts about Warren that were clouding Lilli's mind. She remembered what Peter had looked like after being imprisoned— the image had never left her mind. It had haunted her dreams and plagued her waking hours and even now, months after the incident, it was the only thing she could see.
Lilli was really starting to regret leaving her old hone and coming back into this world. If only she'd just stayed home and ignored Jean, she wouldn't be in this mess. She could be safely curled up in her bed reading a good book with some hot cocoa and her only problem would be wondering what she'd wear to work the next day. Instead, she was laying on an unfamiliar bed in a secret underground bunker somewhere in upstate New York wondering if she was going to die the next day. Lilli was only 19– she shouldn't be in this situation at all. None of them should be. They should be running around being teens and doing stupid things and being reckless and making mistakes— not fighting in someone else's war.
Fury started boiling in Lilli. Her veins felt like ice cold rage was racing through them in place of her blood. She was just a pawn in someone else's war. They all were. This was all so, so messed up. Lilli abruptly jolted up out of her bed— she just couldn't keep laying there with these thoughts racing through her mind. She through on a pair of sneakers and quickly slipped out of her room. She made a beeline towards the gym; the only place where she could let her anger out.
The gym was across the large assembly room, so Lilli twisted her way down the hallways, making her way to the center of the bunker. Her thoughts were racing so quickly it was impossible to focus, so Lilli tried to just tune them out. She was so focused on this that she wasn't watching where she was going and suddenly slammed into something.
Lilli was knocked out of her thoughts as she started to see the floor quickly come up to her. Her eyes grew wide as she reached out her hands to brace herself, but the impact never came: a pair of arms had wrapped themselves around Lilli and gently pulled her back up. Lilli looked up to see Peter pulling his arms away, biting his lip to keep from laughing.
"You need to watch where you're going," he sniggered. Lilli rolled her eyes.
"Shut up, idiot," she replied, thwacking him across his arm. "What are you even doing out here?"
Peter's smile dropped, but only for a split second. Lilli almost thought she'd imagined it as Peter replied, "I was just going to go work out. You know, late night gains. How about you?"
"Same here..." Lilli replied, her eyes narrowing. Could Peter have also needed a distraction from his thoughts? Or was he actually going to work out with no ulterior motive? Lilli figured there was only one way to find out: asking. "Are you worried about tomorrow?"
Peter shrugged. "I'm always worried. About literally everything." He looked closely at Lilli and opened his mouth, hesitating for a moment. "But... I may be a little extra worried right now, yeah."
Lilli sighed, feeling like a deflating balloon. So Peter felt the same way too. Relief flooded through her— she wasn't being unreasonably upset. Thank the Good Lord for that. "Do you wanna talk?" Lilli asked Peter. He nodded.
"Let's go to the kitchen," he suggested. Lilli nodded in agreement, and the two set off towards the kitchen. Peter wrapped his arm around Lilli as they ventured down the hallway, and Lilli leaned into him for comfort. His warm frame felt homey and familiar, and Lilli actually felt a wave of ease wash over her. Peter was her absolute best friend and he could always make her feel better, even in the most dire of situations.
"Pete?" Lilli said suddenly, looking up at a Peter. He looked back down, a crease separating his brows.
"Yeah?"
"If we die tomorrow—" Lilli started, but she was quickly cut off by Peter.
"We won't," he assured her, rubbing her arm affectionately.
"But if we do..." Lilli pressed, looking up at Peter straight in his eyes. "I just want you to know that I love you and I'm so, so sorry for leaving you last year."
Peter stopped in the dim hallway, his face melting into a comforting, gentle smile that just radiated warmth. "Oh, Lils. You know I love you too. It's all water under the bridge," he said in a dismissive tone. "I've forgiven you."
Lilli's eyes started watering and she quickly buried her face in Peter's chest. She'd been so, so worried that Peter held a grudge against her for what she'd done, and so to hear him say he forgave her filled her with so much relief. Peter tightly wrapped his arms around Lilli, and she returned the embrace.
YOU ARE READING
feathers ↣ w. worthington iii
Fanfiction"You've got a lot of nerve showing your face around here again." "You've got a lot of nerve showing your face anywhere." *** Lilli finally got her wish- a normal life with a normal job and normal friends. She had her life planned out- she was going...
