The Guardians
Disclaimer : This is a fictional story and doesn't imply anything about the X-men or the actors who played them in movies.
Introduction É this is the sequel series to my story Fire and Ice. You should read it to keep up with the history between Bobby and Kevin. I'd also like to thank all the people who commented on my stories, and though I didn't reply to many of them, I'm very grateful.
The silence was total. Kevin felt the soft sand he was sitting on. It was extremely cold, but as delicate as new snow. Drawing on some of his powers, he warmed the sand beneath him. Small droplets of fire ran along his hands and lower arms, and dropped harmlessly to the ground below. There was no heat in the fire, it was merely a constant side effect of his powers.
"Cold?" he heard to his side.
He turned to look at the source of the voice, and found himself smiling reflexively. Bobby was the source of all his happiness and the love of his life. They'd been together for nearly two years, and every day seemed to get better and better. His attraction to Bobby was intense, and merely looking at him could hasten his breath. There he sat, just to the side of Kevin, his legs crossed and leaning back on his hands. His face was incredible to look at, his features sharp and handsome, and the angle of his body accentuated his toned and slim body.
"Kevin," Bobby said with a wry smile, as if he knew exactly why Kevin was distracted.
"Sorry," he replied, with a small shake of his head to clear his thoughts. "This sand is freezing. Every time we come here I forget to heat it, and every time I freeze my ass off."
Bobby chuckled. His smile was devastating. Hell, even his teeth were good-looking. Shaking his head for a second time, he started becoming irritated at how impressionable he was around Bobby.
"Why do you always bring us here?" Kevin said simply.
"I told you before, I like it," he replied warmly. Kevin felt Bobby take his hand. It was warm and soft. "I like being alone with you, Kevin."
"I'm all for solitude with you, but this is taking the definition a bit far," he replied coyly.
"Hell, if the human race ceased to exist and I was left only with you, I wouldn't have a problem with it," Bobby replied.
Kevin chuckled courteously but the comment disturbed him. It wasn't the first time Bobby had made such a radical statement.
"I like being with you too," Kevin said as he squeezed Bobby's hand tightly. "But we can do better than the moon, for crying out loud. It's cold and barren. The sand is cold, like I said. The sun beats at us with its radiation. There is no oxygen, for fuck sake."
Bobby was smiling widely. "You are so hot when you're angry, and you get angry every time."
"É and it's so far."
"We get here in seconds," Bobby said over him. "I'm planning for us to go much further this year. Valentines on saturn, Christmas on neptune, our anniversary on a comet. You better get ready, my boy."
Kevin growled to himself. "Charming," he said.
"We need more oxygen. The air is getting thin," Kevin said irritably, and in an attempt to change the subject.
Bobby smiled and lifted his right hand. Blue energy ran mirthfully off his hand and Kevin could sense the atmosphere thickening.
"I wish I could make oxygen, or air, or wind," Kevin said.
Bobby rolled his eyes. "I wish I could make fire, or energize matter," he replied dryly.
Kevin's mood was abrasive, but not because of Bobby, but because he never felt himself when he wasn't on earth. He felt complete when he was Bobby, but also incomplete when he was away from people. It was the most ridiculous concept. People had scorned him for years and were fearful of him. Even mutants feared him. Yet he felt the need to be around civilization, to be around the thrill of crowds, and the joy of cities and human feats like art, movies and sport.
Trying to shift his mood to a more positive one, he stared ahead at the earth. He couldn't deny the extreme beauty of their home planet, of its multitude of potent colors amidst the vast emptiness of space. The warmth of Bobby's hand was reassuring, and Kevin could feel his strong grip.
"Sorry for my bad mood," he said eventually.
Bobby stroked the back of his head lovingly. "It's okay, my boy. I like it that you don't like everything that I like, but what I really find great about you, is that you're willing to do these things with me because you know it makes me happy."
Bobby pulled him into a kiss and he could feel the electricity between them, the sparks shooting between their bodies. Kissing Bobby was a treat, and he'd done it a million times, but he couldn't get enough, and always wanted more. He broke off after no short time, and could feel his deep, accelerated breath, and the lingering touch and taste of Bobby that remained.
"One day I'm not going to allow you to do that. It crumbles all my resistance," Kevin said breathily.
"I know, but it's not why I do it," Bobby said with a smile. "Should we go back?"
"Soon," Kevin said. He turned to face Bobby, and saw him frown with hesitation. "I first want to talk to you about something."
Bobby's eyes widened, and he looked wary, as if expecting to be hit. "What?" he said, and fear touched his voice.
"Nothing major," Kevin said, trying to placate Bobby, but doing a lousy job. "I've noticed that you speak about us being alone forever, or not caring about everyone else. You do it often, and it worries me."
Bobby seemed to relax, but irritation crossed his face. It was not a subject he was happy to discuss.
"I don't know, Kevin," Bobby said, but it sounded like a weak prelude to a detailed confession. Bobby remained silent and looked at the ground, and even started playing with the sand, but Kevin decided to hold his tongue. He wasn't going to let Bobby escape from this one, and wanted to hear what was bothering him.
After a long time, Bobby looked up, and saw the quiet serenity and determination in Kevin's eyes. For an instant he looked angry, but then his eyes softened.
"I don't think there's anything good in humanity, alright? Is that what you want to hear?"
"I want to hear what you have to say. I don't have expectations, but it's bothering you, and now it's bothering me," Kevin said honestly, while looking at the ground humbly.
Bobby stood, and seemed not to hear what Kevin had just said. It was possible Bobby was trying to start some sort of fight to shift the topic of discussion, but Kevin refused and figured that as long his answers remained diplomatic and understanding, there was a small chance that this would turn ugly.
"People are scum," Bobby said angrily. "They persecute those they don't understand, and they understand almost no one. They're mostly small-minded. They despise mutants, and even mutants are fearful of us. We're fucked, you know what I'm saying?"
Kevin watched him impassively.
"I don't know, the more I think about it, the more I think it would be better if the whole world started anew. Just you and me," Bobby said, while looking at the earth with a dark frown on his face.
"BobbyÉ"
"They will never accept mutants, and even if some did, they would never accept us. We're too much of a threat to them. Even Xavier looks at us with a wary glint in his eyes half the time. Imagine what some of the students are thinking. Well you know what they are thinking, you have that nice skill. Now that's really something I could use more often." Bobby seemed to be taking part in a monolog as if he was discussing the pros and cons of the issues at hand.
"To be honest Bobby I don't read the minds of other people unless they allow me to, or unless I really need to," Kevin said. Bobby shook his head quickly, and dismissed Kevin's statement with indifference.
"We're going to be alone forever, Kevin. We might as well wish for something to hasten the process. Fucking people! They piss me off!" Bobby shouted the last line in rage, and thrust out his hand. A dazzling blue projectile burst from his hand and ripped along the lunar landscape before landing a thousand feet away with a tremendous explosion. Dust and land arced into the sky and flew into the emptiness above. Kevin's eyes were wide with shock.
"Bobby, stop it!" he cried out and ran to grip him by the shoulders.
Bobby turned to him angrily, and Kevin suddenly stepped back on his guard. Bobby's eyes were livid and full of anger and despair. Blue fire ran up his arms all the way up to his neck. It looked as if his head was resting on a circlet of fire. It lasted only a moment, but it was terrifying. Bobby's eyes softened and the fire receded instantly. Kevin hadn't even thought to use his own powers. It had never occurred to him to use them against Bobby, even in defense. He couldn't imagine ever getting to that point. Confusion filled him, and moments later he was in a tight embrace with Bobby.
"I'm so sorry, Kevin," Bobby muttered with his face buried in Kevin's chest.
"It's okay," he replied while stroking the back of Bobby's neck. "We'll work through this. Just don't blow up the moon anymore, okay?"
He heard Bobby laugh softly into his chest. "Okay," he mumbled.
Bobby raised his head and they looked at one another. "Shit, can you imagine what the astronomers are going to say when they look this way tomorrow morning?" Bobby said.
Kevin smiled widely. "I'm so glad that you're going to be known as the destructive one from now on."
"No way, your track record is full of gore," Bobby said while stroking Kevin's cheek.
Kevin laughed to himself. "Let's go home before we really do end up destroying this moon. You think people will hate us now? Wait until we destroy their favorite pie in the sky." They both ended up laughing.
A moment later they released their embrace and started floating up into the air on black discs made of an invulnerable undiscovered substance. They could both fly, and had a few other skills in common. Bursting forward they reached incredible velocities within seconds. The moon disappeared into the distance and the earth rapidly neared. Striking the atmosphere, they watched as fire rolled off the shields around them. To the casual observer they must have resembled meteorites sailing through the skies. The fiery inferno dimmed in moments to be replaced by the potently blue sky and the icy high atmosphere. The winds ripped at them, and tried to freeze them, to tear at their flesh, but their powers were beyond even mutant comprehension, and it took only the mildest flick of their energy to hold back any natural attack by the planet.
Their target was the mansion, and they had an appointment with Xavier today. Bobby's tirade had worried him, and he knew this was surely not the end of the issue. Bobby was immensely powerful – as powerful as him, but with a snap of his fingers he could devastate the land as far as the eye could see. Kevin had to make an effort to get through to him before something terrible happened. A nasty thought in the back of his mind was laughing at him, as if he was seeing the future and didn't know it. His heart sank, but he looked to his side at the man whom he loved. His face was so divine to look at, but a serious frown marred his looks, and Kevin had an idea he was thinking about their conversation on the moon – and not in a good way. Kevin had to sort this out. He had to!
End of chapter 1
Thanks for reading this, guys. It was more of an introduction to the new series than a story but I hope it tweaked your interest. Please send any comments to rahvin747@yahoo.com.