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Moving into a mansion full of mutants was a change for Warren Worthington. Even with the years he’d spent in the cages, nothing could prepare him for this. He was used to the scathing looks and whispered words. He knew what people thought of him. The only difference was now it was coming from those like him. In the cages there’d been a mutual understanding, a common enemy. He’d expected the same to be true here.
The sharp plates shifted painfully in his back as he sat down on the edge of the roof. Charles had promised they would find a way to bring his wings back, but he didn’t put much faith in that. It was better to assume the worst. At least then he wouldn’t disappoint himself. The roof had become his haven. It probably wasn’t technically allowed, but then again, a lot of things got swept under the rug in this place. Everyone had their coping methods with their past and as long as it wasn’t hurting anyone, teachers would turn a blind eye.
The sun was just beginning to set, the sky turning different shades of pink, purple, and orange. The air had a slight chill to it, soothing after the earlier warm air. Warren liked to sit outside and watch the change. Morning and night he’d be found in that exact place. Years locked in a cage underground would do that to a guy. He could really go for a drink, but he’d promised the professor he’d stop. It was the least he could do after he’d forgiven him for so much.
A creak behind him sent his adrenaline racing, another effect of the cages. His eyes locked on a girl, frozen in a half crouch as she climbed out of the hatch from the attic. She blinked a moment, just as surprised to see him as he was her.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know anyone was up here.”
“S’alright,” Warren replied simply. He stiffened as she sat down beside him.
“Mind if I join you?” He shook his head no, still stunned that she would even want to be around him. “You alright? I’m not going to push you off the edge or something if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“No, I just- you’re not afraid of me?” He asked.
“No, why would I? Because you’ve got big metal wings and face tattoos? Warren, you’re not unique. Everyone’s got their own shit.”
“Yeah, but people talk and give me weird looks…. I know I freak them out.”
“No you don’t. That’s all in your head. They couldn’t care less about your mutation. I haven’t heard a single person mention your wings. It’s more about you being a new kid. They’ll get over it.” She shrugged and turned away from him toward the setting sun. Warren stared at her, studying the outline of her face. Not once had he seen this girl or even heard of her, yet she knew all about him. She wasn’t afraid of him. He furrowed his brow before turning in the same direction as the sky grew darker and silent.
~
Warren went about his days minding his own business. The curious glances and hushed voices pushed back in his mind. He couldn’t be bothered to worry about what other people thought.
Charles and Hank had finally pulled through for him. The only way for him to get his wings back was to lose the current ones. It was an excruciating process. First the wings themselves had to be pulled off. Days later, he was put under and the metal was removed from his bones. Now he just had to wait for the wings to grow back. It had only been a week and still he hadn’t gotten used to the lack of weight on his back. It was strange to be ‘normal’.
He found himself scaling the numerous flights of stairs to the attic. His nose tickled as he pushed open the door, dust particles floating in the strands of light. A beam of light shone down from the open hatch. Warren stifled a small smile as he climbed the ladder, the light breeze ruffling his golden curls.
“Didn’t think you were going to show up today,” the girl teased.
“When haven’t I?” He took a seat beside her, accepting the can of soda she offered. “Where’d you get these?”
She shrugged with a mischievous grin. “I have my ways.”
“You, Y/n, are going to get yourself in trouble one of these days.” His heart fluttered at her smile.
“It’s not like I don’t get in trouble for stupid stuff anyway. How are the wings coming along?”
He winced as his back muscles flexed instinctively. “Nothing really except for a few feathers.”
Y/n nodded as their conversation lapsed into a comfortable silence. They watched as the wind pushed the puffy white clouds aside. It spun them into cotton castles and beaming turrets, the kind that children are often told are inhabited by angels. However, the stories were wrong. Angels weren’t above, they were beside. They created their own castles, just as Warren sat atop his beside the person who swore at that moment to protect.
~
Something had changed that day between the two mutants. It was the kind of change that can only occur between two lost souls over a couple cans of soda on a sunny day. Everyone knew it, they just knew better not to mention it.
Three months had passed and Warren’s wings went from bony nubs to their full majesty. His crippled confidence grew back with them. As a result, wherever Y/n went, he was there, his wing lingering protectively behind her. Maybe it was subconscious, maybe it was him trying to show off his regained strength. Either way, Warren was becoming Warren again.
He waited outside the library as usual. In a moment, she would step out the door tired yet relieved from a long study session. This was routine and an entirely welcomed one after a life of so much uncertainty. His stomach flipped as she stepped out the door.
“Studying go well?” He asked, falling into step with her and looping an arm around her shoulder as nonchalantly as possible.
“Yeah,” she answered tiredly. “I’m probably not going to pass my chemistry test, but at least I’ll do decently well on calculus.”
“I don’t know much about calculus, but I think I could teach you a thing or two about chemistry.”
Y/n rolled her eyes at his joke, but wasn’t able to stop herself from cracking a grin. “Your jokes are terrible.”
“Yeah, but they make you laugh so are they really that bad?”
Weekends were lazy days, meaning after a long study session was a good, long afternoon nap. Being a winged mutant had its perks, namely a private dorm room. Wings were too much of a safety hazard in tight spaces. The pair made their way up to his room before collapsing on his bed. Y/n cuddled into his side with a contented sigh. He wrapped his wings around them both, causing her to giggle as the feathers tickled her nose.
“What’s so funny?”
“Your feathers are tickling me.”
“Is that so?” He grinned before rolling over and attacking her with more tickles.
“W-Warren, st-stop!” She gasped between peals of laughter. His assault came to a halt as the two caught their breath. Her smile faded as a curious expression crossed her face. “Warren do you like me?”
His heartbeat stuttered. “Yeah- yeah, of course. Why?”
“I mean, really. Do you like me?”
He swallowed before climbing off her. Of course he liked her. He’d liked her for a long time, but he didn’t want her to know that. Finally he had a normal life that he couldn’t bear to lose. “I don’t know… I don’t know!” Panic was beginning to rise in him.
She sat up, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “Hey, it’s okay. I didn’t mean to- I’m sorry I brought it up.”
“No!” He blurted out, turning quickly to face her. “Don’t apologize! I just don’t know. There’s something, I just don’t know….”
“It’s okay, I understand. I was just curious is all. Maybe we can figure it out together?” She suggested.
He nodded, taking her hand in his own, stroking his thumb across the back of it.
~
Over the next month, that conversation crossed his mind every day. Back and forth he went multiple times and often late into the night. Did he truly like her? Was he willing to screw everything up? Did she even still like him? Was he taking too long to come to a decision?
Things went on as normal. Warren would wait for her outside her classes to make sure she got to the next one safely. They’d spend the late afternoon together on the roof, watching the sun go down. Occasionally she would spend the night with him, calming him down after another nightmare. Y/n was always there, no matter how late or how early. She didn’t bring up his feelings again unless he did and those times were few and far between.
After weeks of convincing, he finally joined her in the library. He was bored out of his mind, but it was at least partially entertaining to attempt to distract her. Libraries weren’t really his thing after growing up in near isolation. Warren was passion and chaos. Maybe that’s what drew him to Y/n’s more subdued, yet still unpredictable nature. He watched her pore over her textbooks, twiddling a pen in one hand as her fingers ran through strands of hair. His eye caught on the little details he loved to study. The chipped nail on her right thumb that she chewed when she was anxious, the scar on her other hand from when a cat scratched her when she got too friendly, the scuffed heel of her shoe from sliding around the marble floors of the mansion. Charles hated that one specifically. ‘Scuffing up the floors’ he would say.
Warren was transfixed, hypnotized, and as he found himself in that dreamy state, he felt all the pieces click together. He pushed himself to his feet, striding over to her before placing a hand on the back of her chair. She tore her attention from her papers as she looked curiously up at him.
“War-” her question was cut off by a surprised gasp as he captured her lips with his own. He hummed as her hands finally came to rest on his shoulders, clinging to the lapel of his leather jacket. Finally, after a moment too long, they had to break for air. “What was that about?” She breathed.
“I think I do like you,” he replied, before he was pulled down into another deep kiss.
And all I have to do is think of her
Something in the things she shows me
I don't want to leave her now