X-Men: Nature Calls

Disclaimer:

All the characters portrayed in this story are fictional and are owned by Marvel, except the characters of my own creation.

No part of this story may be reproduced, by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the author.

Do not read this if you are under the age of 18 or the legal age in the country or state you live in.

This story contains scenes of explicit homosexual sexual acts between two individuals, if this offends you, please leave now.

Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'm trying something new here. It's the first time I'm writing celebrity fan fiction. If I get a few things wrong please inform me and send your comments to mystories92@gmail.com. Check out my other two stories: Love on Iradnia- Sci-fi fantasy, and Not a Fantasy After All- Highschool.

X-men: Nature Calls

Chapter 1

It was dark outside and the weather was cold and windy. Cale shifted his position to make himself more comfortable and pulled his blanket tighter around him. The abandoned warehouse was cold and empty, grey and lifeless. He was beginning to lose hope of ever having a happy and normal life. The weather was always perfect for one of his moods and right now it was dark and gloomy and depressed.

He flicked his shoulder length white hair out of his face. Whenever he went out in public he always got stared at. He was tall, about six feet, and slim. His skin was really tan, bordering on becoming dark and he had the lightest blue eyes, like ice. He didn't know what he was, couldn't decide if he was black or white. He knew nothing of his past, where he was born, who his parents were? He'd been travelling for such a long time now and he was really exhausted.

He'd been travelling from Nairobi in Kenya. He made his way north, along the African continent, managing to survive by stealing food and taking shelter in abandoned buildings, and made it to the city of Alexandria in Egypt, where he stowed away on a ship bound for France. He trekked across France, and stowed away on another ship on its way to the United Kingdom, where he now was, in an abandoned warehouse on the edge of Chelmsford. He didn't know what he was searching for, but something compelled him to make his way west, further than he had ever gone. But there was a problem, the whole Atlantic Ocean stood between him and the United States of America.

He sighed softly and tried to close his eyes, but sleep would not come to him at this hour. In all his sixteen years of life, he had never felt more alone than he did now. He had no identity accept for his first name. Cale.

The warehouse seemed to get colder and he shuddered, rubbing his arms to try and keep the cold at bay. Then he heard a crash coming from the other side of the warehouse, and then laughing voices. It sounded like a gang had broken in and was busy vandalizing the place. Cale needed to get out before the saw him. Stood up silently, crouched behind some empty crates and peered over them. He saw them in the middle of the room laughing and shoving each other. There were six of them, all rough and mean looking, piercing and tattoos covering what bare skin could be seen.

One of them stopped and sniffed the air. He shushed the other and sniffed again.

"What is it?" one of them said.

The guy who sniffed grinned evilly, "We have company," he snickered, and then glanced directly into Cale's eyes. Cale gasped. The guy's eyes were glowing and he looked feral, animal-like. But how was that possible?

He saw one guy disappear in a flash and his eyes widened.

"Looking for me?" he heard a voice say behind.

Cale whipped around and saw the guy who had disappeared stand casually against the crate behind him.

"H-How did you do that?" Cale stuttered, his voice still retaining a hint of his African birth.

"Oho, we have us a foreigner here mates!" the guy shouted. The rest of the gang laughed.

This situation was getting dangerous, Cale could feel it. "I'll just be going now," he said and started to back away.

"Oh no you won't," the guy grabbed Cale so fast, he had little to react. The next thing he knew, he was surrounded by the gang.

"What shall we do with him boss?" one of them said to a guy who had striking red hair.

"Let's just do away with him." The red headed guy thrust his hand out and it lit up, catching on fire.

Cale looked on in horror. The red headed guy wasn't even screaming. How was this possible?

"I'm going to roast you, like a stuck pig," he snickered.

Cale was getting angry. He was scared as well. He didn't want to die. Suddenly the wind picked up in the warehouse, which was impossible since there were no doors or windows open. Something really weird was going on, thought Cale.

"Hey, what's going on?" one guy said.

"It must be him! He must be one too," said the red headed guy. "We need to get rid of him quickly."

Thunder rumbled inside the warehouse and Cale was getting more upset being surrounded. Some of the gang members began doing strange things. The feral one turned even more animal like and the red headed guy's whole body was suddenly enveloped in fire, not even screaming.

What was going on, what were these people? Lightning flashed in the room and struck the gang surrounding him. Cale was so shocked. Everything stopped suddenly and the room was quite, he could see the gang lying around, moaning in pain. This was his chance to get away. He quickly made his way to the door and left, resolving to continue his was west.

Surprisingly, it took Cale less than a week to make it to the west coast of Wales. No came the dilemma of crossing the ocean. Walking around throughout the day, Cale came across a small air base, secluded from the rest of the nearby city. He overheard that a small plane was making a flight to New York for a wealthy businessman. Cale knew he had to get onto that plane. He didn't have any money and he looked like a street rat. But the day before the businessman's expected departure Cale sneaked into the base. It wasn't all too difficult. He had plenty experience in breaking into locked places. He stood beneath the small private jet, right next to the front landing gear. There was an opening where he could climb into and be safe. He did so and managed to fall asleep.

A few hours he was jarred awake by the sound of the jet powering up. He made sure to keep out of sight. He felt the jet begin to move and he prayed that nothing happened to him. The landing gear was pulled up and the hatch closed, effectively shielding him from the outside. But it didn't shield him from the cold. He longed to be warm and snug, imagining the warm sun beating down on his skin. He didn't realize that it actually began to warm up in the compartment. Cale fell asleep soon after taking off and he didn't how know long he slept before he felt the landing gear descend again. He held on, glimpsing the ground below and hoped he would not fall out.

He wondered how he would be able to get out of the airport when they landed. He knew they'd be landing at JFK International Airport. He wished there was a mist that he could take cover in, but he knew that to be unlikely.

The Jet landed with a thud and taxied to a hangar. Cale waited for a long while until he was sure that no one was around, then he dropped down to the ground and made his way out of the hangar. He was shocked to discover that it was thick with mist outside. How was it possible that luck was on his side when he was almost roasted by those strange men back in Chelmsford?

Still, he made his way cautiously to the edge of the airport and managed to scale the fence, which wasn't an easy task. But he had plenty of training climbing the border fences of all the African countries he passed through.

He travelled all day and made to Central Park. He'd managed to glimpse his reflection in a window and he shuddered at the sight. He kept away from the main roads. His compulsion to get here was still strong, but he didn't know what to do.

He wandered Central Park until it was dark, then hid under one of the bridges for the night. He was just falling asleep when he heard a call for help nearby. His mind told him to leave it, but his heart compelled him to investigate. He left the cover of the bridge into the cold night air. He saw a woman being surrounded by a group of men. They were swathed in black and Cale could see the woman shake in terror. "What do you want from me?" she screamed.

The all laughed. "We want to play," one of them said.

Cale thought back to the incident in Chelmsford and he began to get angry. He didn't notice the clouds thicken and the distant thunder rumbling. The wind picked up and thrashed the trees around.

"Leave her alone!" Cale screamed at them.

The men were surprised to see him, but it soon wore off. They forgot the woman and converged on Cale. Cale hated these men. He hated all people who were cruel to the innocent. Cale could immediately tell these guys were different, just like the ones in Chelmsford. They were dangerous, and Cale survived only through sheer luck the last time. He didn't know what to do, but he spotted the woman making her way out of the park safely and Cale was grateful for that. She would live another day.

Watching the woman retreat left Cale unguarded, and he gasped when he felt a punch to his stomach. He crouched on the ground, holding his stomach and moaning in pain. "Shock him!" he heard one man say, and he felt the bolts burning through him. He screamed, but not from pain. In fact, it felt tingly. He screamed from the shock of being electrocuted. He expected the pain, but there was none. It was only tingly. He couldn't understand why. The men laughed, thinking he was in pain. Cale grew angry again. Confidence suddenly poured into him, he didn't know from where. He could hear whispering in his mind, instructions. "Stand up!" it said to him, and he was compelled to do so.

"Quick, shock him again!" the man said, and once again he was tingled. He couldn't help but laugh. He was amazed that nothing happened to him.

"It's not working!" Cale's `tingler' said to another man. It was an apt name for the man. Shock was far from what he felt now.

"Burn him, Flame." Cale didn't like the sound of that thought, and he knew he had to do something quick. "Shock them, like the last time," the voices told him. Like the last time? Cale couldn't remember shocking anyone, unless the voices meant when the lighting struck the gang that was going to attack him. But he didn't do that, did he?

But Cale lifted his arms to the sky, not sure what was going to happen. He thought of the lightning striking all of the men surrounding him. A few seconds later, he heard the thunder crash, followed by the lightning striking each man consecutively until they were lying on the ground, writhing and screaming. Cale liked the sound of their pain, but couldn't seem to stop. Fear crept into him but his body wouldn't comply with his thoughts and he cried out when he felt his body lift off from the ground. The wind became stronger and rain started slashing down onto him, followed by hail and then snow. What was happening? Lightning flashed and the wind howled. Twigs and leaves were scratching his face.

HELP ME! He cried out in his mind. He was terrified now. It was he that was causing this. He was controlling the weather, only... he couldn't stop!

He heard another sound from up above. It sounded like an engine of a jet. What was a jet doing way out here? He managed to move his head to look up and saw a sleek black jet, like a cross between a B-1B Bomber and a stealth jet. Cale saw the back open and a beautiful woman jump out. Cale screamed in his head not to jump. But he saw that she wasn't falling.

(Do not be afraid) a male voice said to him in his mind. Where was it coming from?

(She will help you) said the man again.

"Who are you?" Cale said out loud. Then he could hear the woman speaking. She had a smooth voice that tried to relax him. He didn't like that there were people in his mind, and he started to fight it.

(Please, do not fight me, I'm here to help!) The woman said. (My name is Jean) Cale tried to calm himself. The woman, Jean, drifted closer to him, but lightning was crackling around him like a shield. "Don't come closer, you'll get hurt!" Cale cried.

"Don't worry about me," he could hear her now, she was close to him. He could see her clearly now. She had striking red hair and blue eyes. The lightning made it possible for him to see clearly. She wore a long deep, dark red coat and a black leather suit underneath it. There was a black X on her left breast. She stuck her hand out in front of her. The lightning seemed to move away from her and Cale, as if they were being forced out of the way. He could see strain on Jean's face and Cale thought that maybe she was moving it.

"How are you doing this?" he said.

"Questions best answered later," she said. She moved both her hands the sides of Cale's head.

"What are you doing?" he exclaimed.

"Don't be scared, I'm trying to get your powers under control," she said, concentration clear on her face.

Cale couldn't understand why he didn't like this. Of course, he felt his mind was private, the only thing left that no one could take away. But he needed help right now. He felt a movement in his mind, a sort of fluttering, like papers blowing in the wind. He knew it was Jean, entering his mind. He tried to keep himself calm, because the rest of his body wouldn't comply with anything. Then it got stronger, like a dull throb. He so wanted to fight the invader out of his mind, but now he couldn't something was blocking him, and he didn't bother fighting it. His heart told him to wait.

(Please take deep breaths. I'm going to put you to sleep.)

"What, no please!" Cale said.

(It's the only way to get you to stop. You could ruin Central Park)

"W-Wait..."

But his eyes drifted closed, and the last thing he could remember was falling, before everything went black, and he felt nothing.

(I have him professor.) Jean said.

(Very good, Jean, bring him to the mansion.)

Jean levitated Cale's body onto the jet and strapped him to a bench.

"Will he be okay?" a man wearing a red visor said from the pilot's seat.

"Yes, Scott. He's just sleeping. Take us home," said Jean.

A few minutes later, they were flying above the pool behind the mansion. The pool receded beneath the ground, sliding left to open up the underground hangar. The dark of night managed to conceal the jet. They landed and disembarked, moving Cale into the med bay on the lower levels beneath the mansion.

It was completely dark in Cale's mind. He was peaceful, and rested. He was thankful for that. It was the first time he had felt so well rested.

Then he felt a fluttering in his mind again. Every fibre of his being told him that it wasn't natural for that to happen. It felt familiar... then he remembered the incident in Central Park...

Outside Cale's mind Jean and Scott were in the med bay watching the professor. He was sitting at the head of the surgical table where Cale was lying on, his hands placed at the side of Cale's head. His face frowned in concentration.

"He's aware of my presence," he said to Jean.

"Do you need assistance?" she asked.

"No, that isn't necessary; I think I can calm him down."

(Cale, please calm down) he said.

(Who are you? What are you doing in my head?) Cale asked.

(My name is Professor Charles Xavier. I'm here to help you.)

(No, get out of head!)

(Please, calm down! I'm not going to hurt you.)

(No, my mind is the last thing I have.) Cale exclaimed.

The professor tried hard to stop Cale from fighting. Jean and Scot gasped when the professor was flung back, away from the table.

Cale's eyes snapped open and he shot up from the table, springing himself to a corner, crouching in a defensive position.

"Professor, are you okay?" Jean exclaimed, running to the professor's side.

"I am fine Jean. Attend to him," the professor motioned to Cale.

"Should I stun him?" Scott asked.

"NO!" Jean exclaimed. "He's not the enemy."

"Look what he just did to the professor!"

"No Scott, I'll talk to him. He's only a child."

Scott huffed, but stood at the ready in case anything happened.

"Please, I'm not going to hurt you," Jean said to Cale.

"Stay away!" he said.

"Can you tell me your name, then?" she asked.

Cale hesitated, "It's... it's Cale."

"Cale, that's a beautiful name," Jean said. She could hear the African inflection in his tone. He reminded her so much of someone. She looked at him closely, saw his shoulder length white hair and blue eyes, his deep brown skin color, a little lighter than Storm's.

That's it! She thought. He reminded her of storm. And he spoke like her. But who was this boy, and where did he come from?

"Do you remember me? My name is Jean Grey, and this is Scott Summers," she said, pointing to Scott.

"I remember you. You helped me in the park. But I want no one in my head again! Is that understood?" Cale said, looking at Jean, the professor and Scott respectively.

"Cale, this is a place for you to be safe," said the professor, once Scott helped him back into his wheelchair.

"What is this place?" Cale asked.

"This is the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. It is a school where you can learn to control your abilities."

"Abilities? Is that what I have? What am I? I was attacked by a gang a while back, and the one guy burst into flames, but he wasn't in pain. How is that possible? How did I cause that destruction at Central Park?" Cale said, sinking down to the ground and burying his face in his knees. "It's never happened before."

He must not know about the mutant world, the professor thought. "You are mutant, Cale. As are all of us at this school," the professor said.

"I'm sure you must be exhausted. Why don't we get you some clean clothes and a nice hot shower, then you can rest," Jean said.

"Scott, will you do that? I need to speak to Jean."

"Sure, professor. Come on, follow me," Scott said and walked to the door.

"Go ahead with Scott, Cale. He won't bite," Jean chuckled. "I know he can be uptight sometimes."

Scott snorted and frowned, but said nothing.

Cale managed a weak smile, and then got up and hesitantly followed Scott out the door.

"Professor, does he remind you of someone?" Jean asked.

"Yes, and that is very troubling, as are the powers he displayed."

"When is she coming back?" Jean asked.

"Ororo is still on her mission with Hank. They'll be back the day after tomorrow," the professor answered.

"What did you glean from his mind?"

"Precious little, Jean. I got glimpses of memory, too little to paint a picture. He was too strong for me to overpower, and the only one who could ever do that, was you..."

Jean, frowned, thinking back to her death, then rebirth as the Phoenix, and her death again at the hands of Wolverine. She regretted killing the professor, even thought she had no control over it. Thanks to the professor's foresight, he was not killed when she obliterated him at her childhood home but was only transported to an alternate dimension.

Scott, the professor and Jean had all died, but when the professor was brought back through Doctor Hank McCoy's scientific genius, he discovered that none of them had truly died, but were only moved to that alternate dimension. What makes you truly die was still a question being discovered by Hank.

"He's powers are just like Storm's. I thought she was the only one that could manipulate the weather like that," Jean said.

"I thought so too. It seems Storm has some skeletons in her closet..."

Cale followed Scott through the mansion. The lower levels were all sleek and metallic, futuristic. The entered an elevator and went up. They then got out on the first floor, which were the institute and the living quarters. Cale saw that it was light outside, which meant that he was out for the whole night.

"How are you feeling?" Scott asked.

"Tired, confused and a little scared."

"It's not true you know," Scott said.

"What?" Cale wanted to know.

"About me being uptight. I'm just overprotective. This institute is my life."

"What is it that you do here?" Cale said as the climbed the stairs onto the second floor.

"Well, people with powers like yours and mine come here to learn how to control them. It's also a sanctuary for young people who have been mistreated because of their mutant abilities. Also, they get their basic school education as well. The professor, Jean and I, as well as a few others are teachers here. The professor is the founder of the institute," Scott explained.

For the first time in a long while Cale felt safe. He realized that his travelling compulsion had gone ever since he made to the institute. Was this the place he was supposed to be?

"At the institute you will meet many students who come from different backgrounds. I'm sure you'd fit in well here. This is your room. You will have a roommate. He's in class at the moment, so you'll meet him later. This is where I leave you. Ah, the right side is yours. There should be some clean clothes and underwear in the closet on the right. There's the bathroom and shower," Scott said, pointing to the side of the room. "Have a nice warm shower and get some rest."

"Thanks Mr Summers," Cale said with feeling.

"Please, call me Scott; I'm still too young to be a Mr."

Cale actually smiled as he looked at Scott. He was an attractive man with short brown hair and a medium build. He was constantly wearing a pair of red sunglasses. "Why do you wear those?" Cale asked before Scott could leave.

"My sunglasses?" Cale nodded. "It's because of my ability. My eyes shoot out a concussive optic beam, but I can't control it, and the only way to stop myself from destroying everything is by wearing red sunglasses."

"It's really that dangerous, huh?"

"Yeah," said Scott. "Well I'll let you get to your RnR. See you later."

"Thanks... Scott."

Scott left and Cale surveyed the room. It was clean and neat and spacious enough for two people. He went to the closet and picked out a pair of khaki shorts and white boxers, and then made his way to the shower. He stepped under it once the temperature was perfect. It was heavenly. The only time he showered was last night when the rain pelted down onto his skin. He loved the hot water on his skin and he washed his hair vigorously. When he was done he dried himself and looked in the mirror.

He looked so different from everyone else. His white hair contrasted with his dark golden skin and he stuck out like a sore thumb. Not many people like him had blue eyes where he came from. He was tall and slim, but had good muscle definition. Even his pubic hair was white. He didn't describe himself as good looking. He was weird to everyone.

Cale sighed and pulled the boxers and shorts on, then made his way to the bed, plopped down and immediately fell asleep.

The door opened and Piotr stepped into his room. He turned around and nearly yelped. On the bed on the right side of the room lay a guy, asleep. Piotr's eyes bugged out at the sight. Where did he see someone like this before? The guy was lying on his stomach with his head in the ford of his arms. Piotr couldn't help but feel heat moving south. Who was this god? He only had a pair of shorts on and his back glowed in the light of day. He was amazing.

But what was he doing in his room? Piotr wanted to know. Not backing down from anything, Piotr walked over to the bed.

"Hello? Hey, wake up." He touched the boy's shoulders and was almost knocked into the wall.

"Hey watch it!" he exclaimed, backing away quickly.

"Stay away from me!" the slightly deep voice demanded.

Piotr nearly choked when those blue eyes turned on him. They were so light. He fell into them immediately.

"It's okay; I'm not going to hurt you. I'm your roommate; at least, I think so."

"Yes, I am supposed to be here," the boy said. Piotr could hear the slight accent, almost like Storm's. Was he from there too?

"My name is Piotr. Piotr Nikolaievitch Rasputin," Piotr introduced himself.

"I am Cale. I don't know my last name."

Piotr felt a twinge of sadness for Cale. What did he go through? "So I guess we'll be bunking it together," he said, he's Russian accent still vaguely showing.

"I guess so," Cale agreed.

"Hey are you hungry? I know I am. Training takes a lot out of you."

Cale was hungry. He nodded and went to put a t-shirt on. It was white, which wasn't surprising to him. He knew he'd light up like a torch now. He's skin and the white just made him stick out. He looked closely at Piotr, who was busy putting on a fresh shirt. He was tall as well, a bit more than Cale. He had short black hair and blue eyes. He was muscled, but not overly so. Enough to make him broad and sturdy. He bulged in all the right places. Why was he thinking that? Cale thought. His cheeks were feeling warm.

"I'm ready, let's go," Piotr announced.

They made their way out of the room and into the cafeteria. It was packed with students and Cale cringed inwardly. He could already feel the eyes on him. He wished he could just disappear. But that wasn't possible. He'd have to muddle through it. Don't make eye contact. He shook his hair in front of his eyes. He was grateful for the little cover it provided.

Piotr led them to a table in the middle of the cafeteria where a group of students sat. He nearly stumbled when he saw an angel sitting with them. Cale must be dead, he reasoned. Surely there wasn't an angel sitting right here in the cafeteria. He was startled by an elbow in his ribs.

"Friendly advice, don't stare," Piotr whispered in his ear.

It was so ironic Cale almost laughed out loud. But he managed a smile instead. And it helped to bring him back to reality. He composed himself as they neared the table. They were all watching them approach. There were four of them altogether.

"Hey guys!" Piotr greeted.

"Hey Pete!" they greeted back.

"Who's this?" a girl asked. She had red hair and there was a grey streak of hair on the one side.

"Everyone, this is Cale. He just arrived. Introduce yourselves," Piotr said, plopping down on the seat in front of him.

"Hi Cale, I'm Marie, but everyone calls me rogue." She had a southern accent which lightened up the mood a little.

"I'm Bobby Drake," said a cute boy with short brown hair and light blue eyes. He stuck his hand out for Cale to shake. It was cold when he did. Cale got a cold shiver.

"Hey there good looking! I'm Kitty Pryde," said a pretty girl with long black hair. She was very bubbly and seemed to be the life of the crowd. She certainly made Cale blush with her comment. "And this angel over here is Warren Worthington the third. He's not a real angel by the way, just likes to think he is." Kitty was rewarded with a shove and everyone burst out laughing.

"Have a seat, Cale," Piotr said, pointing to the empty space next to him.

Cale sat down and watched them. He didn't know how to act around people. Most of his life was spent in solitude as well as on the road.

"So where are you from?" Rogue asked.

Cale expected the questions, and he was a little uncomfortable with them, but this was his home now, and he had to open up. "The place I remember starting my life was in Kenya, Nairobi, to be exact."

"Started?" Bobby asked.

"Yes, because I don't remember my life before that. It's all one big blank,"

Kitty stroked his arm, "I'm so sorry for that."

"So you've been on your own all along? How did you make it here then?" Warren asked. He was a beautiful boy with short blond hair. His wings were folded closed behind him. Cale wondered how he got the t-shirt on.

"Uh, yes, I travelled from Nairobi, through Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt, crossed the Mediterranean Sea to the United Kingdom and stowed away on a flight to New York," Cale said shyly, noticing the group's stunned expressions.

"If you don't mind me asking," Piotr said, "but why?"

"I don't know," Cale said truthfully, "something compelled me to come here, I don't know what. The good news is that it stopped."

"Wow, you've really been through a lot. How'd you make it so far? What's your ability?"

"Kitty! You're being forward. The guy just got here. Geez," Bobby scolded. He seemed like the leader of the little group.

"Sorry Bobby, sorry Cale," Kitty apologized.

"No, it's okay... I don't really know what my ability is. It never manifested before yesterday... at least I think it didn't."

"What happened?" Piotr asked.

"I saw some guys attacking this woman in Central Park. I wanted to stop it. They came for me. They must have been... mutants, because the one guy electrocuted me..."

Everyone gasped. "Don't worry, nothing happened. It felt tingly. Anyway, I got angry, and then the wind picked up and clouds covered the sky, thunder rumbled and lightning blitzed across the sky. It struck every guy there. But I couldn't stop it. My body rose into the air. It was like my body wasn't listening to me. That was when Jean came and stopped me from turning the park into a hurricane disaster area."

It was silent around the table. All of them looked at each other, wondering he same thing.

"Don't worry," Piotr said. "You'll be safe here at the institute, and the professors will teach you how to control you ability."

"Thanks Piotr," Cale said. "What are your abilities?" he asked curiously.

"Well, I can transform my body into a living organic metal, which gives me super human strength and makes me nearly invulnerable," Piotr said brightly.

Cale looked at Kitty. "I can pass through solid matter," Kitty said, smiling and phasing her hand through Cale's chest. It kind of weirded him out.

"Mine is obvious," said Warren. They all chuckled. "Although I haven't explored them fully yet."

"I can generate freezing temperatures to create and manipulate ice. I can also turn my body completely into ice," Bobby said dryly, as if it was an everyday occurrence having to explain your ability.

"And you, Rogue?" Cale asked.

She looked a little stricken, and Cale wondered if it was a touchy subject. "I can absorb your power and memories temporarily, and cause pain to the person through touch..."

"We don't talk much about Rogue's power. It's the reason she wears those gloves," Bobby said, and looked at her fondly.

Cale didn't notice them before and thought it was just a natural thing.

"She can't touch anyone directly. They could die," Kitty said.

"I'm sorry, I wouldn't wish that power on anyone," Cale murmured.

"It's alright, sugar. I've learnt to live with it," Rogue drawled and pasted a smile on her face.

They continued making small talk and Cale got himself something to eat. Before long he excused himself to go back to his room to rest. He was still exhausted. He slept right through to the next morning.

(Cale... Cale, wake up. It's the professor speaking.)

"Huh, what? Professor?"

(Yes Cale. I need to speak to you. Will you come into my office after breakfast?)

(Uh, sure, professor.) Cale said telepathically.

(Thank you.) The professor ended the link.

Cale didn't mind talking to someone telepathically. They just needed to stay away from everything else.

"Cale, you okay?" Piotr asked sleepily, his Russian accent even more pronounced.

"Yes, go back to sleep. It is still early."

"Nah, it is okay. I'm up now anyway. Might as well get out of bed."

Cale sat up in bed, the blankets falling down to reveal his smooth naked chest. Piotr rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and nearly gasped when he saw Cale. His white hair was sexily ruffled and his blue eyes blinked in the morning light. Cale yawned and put his hand in front of his mouth which gave Piotr a view of his hairless underarms. Piotr bit his lower lip to keep from moaning out loud. What was this boy doing to him? His erection pulsed under the blankets and Piotr was glad of its concealment. He ached to stroke it. But he curbed his desire and instead spoke to Cale. "So how do you like it so far?"

Cale brushed his hand through his hair, "I like it so far. Tell me about your friends."

Piotr chuckled, "What do you want to know?"

Cale thought for a moment. "I notice that Bobby and Rogue give little looks to each other and when Kitty sees, she sort of dims a little. Which I find strange, seeing as she's the lively one in the group. Warren... I don't know. He seems to have a sadness in his eyes, like he lost something. And how did he get the shirt on?" Cale had a slight frown on his face.

"Wow, you noticed all that within just one meeting?" Piotr asked with a smile on his face and a little admiration coloring his voice.

"He-he, I apologize if I seem a little forward."

"No-no, it's okay. Well, Rogue and Bobby sort of have a thing for each other, but because of her ability, she can't be close to anyone, which frustrates the two of them. Kitty has feelings for Bobby, but he's not really interested. Warren... well, Warren's dad tried to `cure' him with that new cure they created, but Warren didn't want that. So he left. He and his father haven't really been on good terms lately."

"What about you?" Cale asked as he looked into Piotr's eyes.

"I came here a while back with my sister, Illyana. She's around somewhere, doing her own thing," he said, looking away from Cale's intense gaze.

Suddenly he was at Cale's bed side and gripping Cale's hand. "Please don't be angry, but I just have to do this," he said, and then took Cale into his arms and kissed him.