Of Starlit Skies and Raindrops

See the stone set in your eyes,
See the thorn twist in your side.
I wait for you.
Sleight of hand and twist of fate,
On a bed of nails she makes me wait,
And I wait....without you.

Family.  It was strange, to think of these people as family.  After all, not every family consisted of mutant superheroes who had saved the world more times that that world would ever know.  Not every family had supervillains who had existed from time immemorial who believed in Darwinism at its most extreme, malevolent geneticists dead set on "improving" the general stock of the planet, and various other (to him) insanely overpowered enemies trying to kill them.  God, he had even fought his old family for these people.  He sighed, leaning heavily in his chair.

Off to his side, just out of sight, he could feel his "family".  Jean was arguing with Scott over...leaving the toilet seat up.  Heh.  Scott was protesting in vain, while Logan hung back from the PDoA and chuckled.  Betsy and Warren were holding one another by the fireplace, his wings shielding them from the unpleasantness of being in the real world.  His beloved...He cast his gaze again, up to the stars.

Silently, raindrops began to plaster themselves to the window.

With or without you.
With or without you.

Through the storm we reach the shore,
You give it all but I want more,
And I'm waiting for you.

She lounged in her chair, watching the rain.  Softly at first, then with increasing rhythm.  Dum-dum-dum, dum-dum-dum.  She lost herself in the rhythm, feeling the patter as the drops hit the pane.  He always did use to love the rain.  He'd joke about how they were angels weeping over their loss-her.  He'd tell her that, when it rained, it was the angels, their tears laments over her becoming his.  He always was such a flirt.

Her grip on her pillow tightened.  She could feel her nails digging deep into the stuffing, but she didn't care.  Oh, how she missed him.  It wasn't fair, after all that they'd been through.  After everything they'd sacrificed and shared, weren't they entitled to some peace?  Some time for them, and not the world?  With all they had, with all the powers and resources at their command, they couldn't even bring themselves to touch, fingertip to fingertip.

She didn't cry.  She doubted she had any tears left in her.

With or without you.
With or without you.
I can't live,
With or without you.

It wasn't fair.  He could feel the tears burning their way down his cheek, but he didn't care.  Why?  Why?  He couldn't even touch her!  He couldn't wrap his finger around a lock of her hair, couldn't brush tears away from her eyes, couldn't put his lips to hers.  Heh.  He couldn't even kiss her.  None of the other X-Men had to face this...this...damnation.  Scott had Jean, Warren had Betsy, and every day, he could see them.  Holding hands.  And here he was, sitting alone and staring at the rain.

Focusing for a moment, he called his mutant power to life.  He watched the nimbus of energy dance lazily before him.  She always loved that.  He would bring call up the orange-pink light into existence, and she would clap and laugh like a little girl.  Like the girl she never showed anybody else.  That was when they forgot their responsibilities to the world, forgot that they were part of the world, and lost themselves to one another.

He blinked back the tears that threatened to blind him.

And you give yourself away,
And you give yourself away.
And you give,
And you give,
And you give yourself away.

She could feel him.  Across the starry sky, through the rain and cold.  She could feel his love, reaching out to her.  To her.  She was his, and he was hers.  God, why did they have to give up so much?  Why weren't they allowed just one day, just one for them and them alone?  She curled up into a tight ball.

Dum-da-dum-dum.  Dum-da-dum-dum.

He had his responsibilities, and she had hers.  They had duties before their happiness, she had always known that.  So did he.  That didn't make it fair, or just, or any of the other things her mind screamed at her it wasn't.  It just meant that, as long as she dreamed of the light shimmering in his eyes, or his gentle, soft smile, then she could have to wait.

Dum-da-dum-dum.  Dum-da-dum-dum.

That didn't mean that she had to like it all that much.

Maybe she did have a few tears left in her, after all.

My hands are tied
My body bruised, she's got me with
Nothing to win
And nothing left to lose

He leaned back further in his chair.  Across the distance, he could feel her.  Why did they have to be so far apart?  He knew, of course.  No way around it.  Was it all worth it?  Maybe...loving her was too hard.  Maybe he should just forget her, move on.  She was in his thoughts always, but this...not being able to even touch her was killing him slowly.

Jean stole into the room quietly.  She came over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.  Her emerald green eyes reflected his sadness.

"Go.  Call her," she said.

He smiled, when had he become so transparent, and glided to the Comm Center.

With or without you.

"Majestrix Lilandra?  Incoming message for you from Earth..."