Title: Game On

Characters Involved: Erik Lehnsherr; Kaeha Malik; Charles Xavier; Hank McCoy; Alex Summers; Sean Cassidy; Emma Frost; Janos Quested; Azazel

Stage in Storyline/Relationship: Shortly after Kaeha arrived at the mansion and formed vague friendships.

Brief Summary: Forcing Charles and Erik to get along isn't Kaeha's sole skill. Apparently, she can get the whole house to play soccer too.

"I don't think this is wise." Hank protests weakly, trying and failing to deter the brunette.

Kaeha limps on ahead despite the constant stream of protests behind her. Frantic cerulean irises keep track of her every unstable step and loose grip on the medical-issued crutches. Those crutches were purely for show and Hank hates the fact that Kaeha is well aware of that. He was certain it was a miracle he placated her into using them this morning. Now, he stands corrected for it was no miracle; it was a pipe dream.

Hank understands her euphoria caused by the unexpected release from the stuffy medical bay. What he can't begin to fathom is Kaeha's instant dismissal for her well-being the second tanned feet grazed the hallway. At this rate, a cardiac arrest is imminent for every brief second where her smooth jog abruptly jerks into a tottering step before her balance recovers.

When Kaeha turns back to smile, Hank visibly flinches at the gleeful expression. Rosy lips peel back to flash pearly whites in an almost savage smile. It's one that dares anyone to get in her way while brimming with the sort of mischief parents warn their innocent children of. Nausea fills his stomach in a flutter of butterflies when bandaged arms raise to wave stiff crutches in the air like an extension to her slender limbs.

"Lighten up, Blue Wonder! I'll be fine!" The brunette hollers around another dangerous grin.

Face scrunching in protest, he's about to voice a list of reasons on why attempting any type of sports would be a wretched idea. However, Kaeha chooses that exact moment to glare balefully at her crutches before flinging them aside as though they were made of paper. Unceremonious noise erupts when they clatter against the bark of a tree - her intended target - followed by a sad hiss as they slide onto smooth grass in a defeated pile.

Why, why on Earth did I ever think she would be more manageable than Sean? He wails in despair.

Sorrow quickly morphs into frustration and the medic allows himself to swear up a storm in the safety of his mind. It's loud enough to filter into Charles' sensors and elicit amused chuckles from the telepath as he rolls up to him. Cool fingers pat cotton slacks as Charles offers up a smile that causes cerulean eyes to narrow at the glowing camaraderie in the quirk of his lips.

"Honestly Hank, relax." Charles chides like a patient mother.

"You weren't there the last time I took my eyes off of her." He grumbles, jogging forward to catch up to the energy mutant crossing marked lines.

In all honesty, Hank was partially at fault. He had neglected to emphasize the repercussions from a power spike. His mind was distant, whirring on the new breakthrough he discovered in reverse-making the drug despite not knowing its actual properties, and that was all it took. Sean still has a patch of singed hair beneath his left ear as a mark of Hank's negligence.

Cheeks burn when Charles laughs loud and bright, clearly seeing the memory when it splays across his mind in vivid hues. Fragmented attention reforms into sharp focus when Sean's voice rings out in a wild whoop. A foot lashes against the black and white sphere to send the football spiraling through the air. Hank is grudgingly impressed when the skillful shot lands the globe an exact step ahead of Kaeha's twitching feet. He frowns at the sight of bare feet.

"At least put some shoes on!" The medic grumbles, rolling his eyes when dismissive laughter is all he gets.

Dismayed groans pour out of his lips when Alex joins the building fray, Janos a close shadow on his heels after shucking his blazer aside and rolling his sleeves up. Emma sniffs in distaste from her relaxed coil on the deck chair by the outskirts of the crudely lined field. Azazel, the actual referee, surveys the raucous bunch while a gleaming whistle shines against his chest. Other students shyly fidget along the outskirts, mildly intimidated but eager all the same.

Lips tug into an unwilling smile when Kaeha approaches them with patient beams and molten eyes. Spines straighten and shoulders roll back as the newer additions to Xavier's Institute join their assigned teams with more confidence than before. He scowls and sighs when Kaeha gestures him over but trudges along anyway, warm sunshine pulsing through his veins.

"Care to be team captain, Summers?" She drawls once both sides have assembled into two opposing lines.

"Gladly." Alex says, flashing a feral grin as he steps forward after checking with his teammates for silent signs of approval.

Azazel glides forward and waits for Kaeha to claim heads before flipping the coin. Energy prickles through the waiting groups as silver somersaults through the air before landing on crimson skin. Hank feels a rush of adrenaline when Kaeha smirks victoriously and cheers in one ferocious noise. She dissects the team into carefully orchestrated roles and the medic can't prevent the grin on his face as he settles into his defending position.

When Azazel blows the whistle, all hell breaks loose.

Blades of grass and clumps of dirt sail through the air as Kaeha throws herself into a diving tackle. Feet crash into unsuspecting ankles in one smooth swipe and Alex crashes to the ground. She may have cackled deviously when the monochrome sphere falls into her possession after skipping over the fallen blond. Laughter morphs into hissed curses when the earth shifts as a slab of dirt slams upwards to hurl the football skyward.

The slender brunette swears and yanks her body sideways to avoid crashing into the pillar. Cecily, a budding earth manipulator, dashes by in a flurry of pink ribbons and pastel taffeta. She may look harmless but the tween could wreck serious havoc if she really wanted to. Not for the first time today, Kaeha sorely misses having her abilities. Being the only powerless one in a soccer match against mutants is hardly easy.

I'm all up for the challenge though. She sings in delight.

Swiveling on her heel, Kaeha is about to chase Cecily down only to almost ram into her. The earth bender is impossibly still, not even drawing a breath, as wide baby blues stare at the left corner. Everyone else on the field has mirrored the statue-like stillness. Heavy tension crackles through the air and bears down on the field in a physical press.

Twisting her neck to the left, Kaeha watches as a looming figure bends to pick up the football that rolled up to polished Oxfords. Calloused fingers grip the sphere in a loose hold despite the disapproval radiating from winter irises. The intensity sharpens to a glowing inferno by the time Erik levels a blazing gaze on her. Carefully smoothing muscles into a relaxed posture, Kaeha grips Cecily's shoulder until she startles back into motion.

After ensuring tanned fingers aren't coiled into fists, she marches over to Erik. She hears her name whispered in a mental warning from Charles but brushes him aside. She's handled far worse nightmares than one measly Erik Lehnsherr before. Alex grazes his fingertips against her arm to soundlessly tell her he'll back her play whatever it may be. The energy mutant returns the gesture before staring Erik down.

"Problem?" Kaeha curtly asks.

"You're useless to me if you injure yourself again, Malik." Erik drawls back, underlying steel unmistakable.

Controlled temper flares as irk floods her veins. Years of practice always seem to disappear when Erik magically pushes all her buttons. Kaeha spends a few moments recollecting herself and finally succeeds in conjuring up an ugly smirk. She knows the expression on her face is deprecation and condescension at its finest. Juvenile joy warms her fingers like the warmth from a fireplace when the vein under Erik's jaw starts to tick.

"Afraid you'll lose, Sasquatch?" She sneers.

"...what?" Erik grits out.

"You heard me perfectly fine, Sasquatch." Kaeha tartly replies.

For a brief moment, she questions the abrupt loss of her sanity. Erik isn't her friend and 'ally' would be stretching it. Basically, there is no reason for the mental bender to listen to reason and not throttle her senseless. Years of training kick in as her slender frame shifts into the best form to cushion brutal impact. Tanned fingers curl around metal loops as a wedge should they snap around her wrists to crush capillaries.

"Let's play then." He states with a feral grin slashed across pale lips.

"Wait, wha-" Kaeha sputters, words disappearing when Erik bolts away.

The energy mutant openly gapes as Tall, Fierce and Scary replaces Janos as the opposing team's forward. Janos flashes a rakish smirk, bows in deference then bounds over to the sidelines by Emma. Alex is the first to recover and barks out orders to rally his team back into gear while Hank does the same for her own team. By the team the medic tenderly grips her wrist, Kaeha is composed and vibrating with energy.

"Let's tear them apart." She growls.

Hank's laughter trails behind her as she hurtles headfirst back into the match. Once the minutes tick by and the game dwindles down to a nerve wrecking tie between both teams, everyone has brushed aside the nervous strain of Erik's presence. They've actually welcomed him into the fold once the metal bender pulls his weight and then some.

This time when Azazel blows the whistle, there's loud triumphant laughter peppered with faux annoyed groans. Alex managed to score the last goal with Erik's help and now the team is jumping about in glee. When the blond saunters over with a wide smirk, Kaeha can't hold back her own smile and gives the boy a quick congratulatory hug. She couldn't bear to feel upset over her loss with Alex practically glowing in pride and joy.

"Captain!" His team mate hollers, beckoning him over for a group hug.

Kaeha watches him go and outright grins when the shy students from his team end up lost in the large embrace. She turns to jog over to a beaming Charles only to freeze in mid-step. Her gaze has caught and snagged on Tall, Fierce and Scary. Erik stands tall above the shorter crowd, one arm loosely slung around Alex's shoulders with a quiet smile tugging on the corners of pale lips. A smile; the second one she's seen even after a week here.

The next step she takes, Kaeha stumbles and finally trips to the ground. Hank is instantly by her side and fusses over her like the mother hen he truly is. She says nothing in protest to the medic's ramblings and nagging. How could she when she's still struggling to recover from that sudden burst of warmth that jolted through her veins from seeing Erik smile? For a second, the energy mutant convinces herself she misinterpreted. Obviously.

Then Charles smiles smugly and Kaeha swears like a sailor until Hank flushes red in confusion.

Author's Ramblings:

I'm so so so sorry that I just went AWAL for almost an entire year. Honestly, being an international university student is much harder than I expected and I've been too preoccupied with getting good grades to write anything. The real half-adult life is real and very annoying. ;w;

Updates will be extremely rare and goodness I don't even know when the next post will be out. I have been considering the thought of finally putting this to rest even with the list of ideas I've had for years now about Everything In Between. This remains to be seen. Thank you dear readers for sticking by me. All of you mean the world to me and I apologize for being such a flaky writer. *bows*