「 The Professor & I 」VOLUME II

(272) Understand

"I'm glad you understand," Charles mumbled in a soft tone, leaning in the peck my forehead.

"I can never repay you enough for that," Charles claimed sheepishly, skimming his fingers through my fringe.

"You're my husband, Charles. You don't have to repay me for anything," I persuaded with an assuring smile.

"Besides, I understand that you're very understanding yourself," I praised lovingly when we were interrupted by a couple of knocks and the door followed to violently swing open.

"I understand that the both of you are very understanding. But you need to understand that the not-so-understanding kids are not understanding why you're not in the jet yet, Professor X," Raven brazenly mocked with a haughty posture as she planted her fist to her human hips but Charles and I were not at all offended, simply smiling in contentment.

"I get the point, Raven. I understand," Charles retaliated playfully, flashing her a pair of provocative brows that caused her to roll her eyes.

"Take this. You need to look proper," I appealed, smoothly sliding off his jacket that was cloaked around my shoulders and my master arm but clumsily draped it over him with only one working hand and a pool of telekinetic energy that was mostly drained.

"Yeah, Charles. You need to look more dashing than Stryker before you can smitten the President," Raven commented sarcastically.

"What are you talking about? I am more dashing than Stryker," Charles insisted in a pompous tone, deliberately tugging on his coat in a suave manner, and Raven scoffed, albeit with her lips twitching like she was struggling to curb bursts of laughter from exploding through them.

"Stay safe. I'll see you in a bit," I murmured to Charles, lightly kissing his cheek.

"Please, take care," Charles urged cautiously. 

"Both of you," he reiterated, glancing towards Raven who now sported a more composed expression and she returned him a friendly nod before he took his rims, disappearing beyond the large, grand doors.

"There's something going on about Jubilee in the lobby and I heard that some of the kids have missed you. Shall I push you back?" Raven proposed hurriedly, obviously eager to end our exclusive moment.

"They can wait. Why don't you sit with me?" I suggested enthusiastically, gesturing to the vacant chair beside me but she stood rooted to the ground, fidgeting with her hands uneasily.

"C'mon, Raven. I just want to talk," I pleaded, gazing at her keenly, and she huffed an annoyed breath, conceding.

"How have you been?" I asked sympathetically as she plopped into her seat.

"Evil, ruthless, and horrible, if you haven't noticed," Raven scorned in an aloof tone, rendering me speechless to respond.

Blankly, I stared at her, dumbfounded by her bitterness, accidentally killing her with the silence.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lost my temper," Raven apologized edgily.

"No... I'm sorry we couldn't get to you," I replied in a guilty tone.

"And I'm sorry you lost them again," she croaked meekly, peering sadly at my dead legs.

"It should have been Hank," she grumbled, grimacing, as she frustratedly combed fingers through her luscious blonde hair.

"And it should have been Charles," I reminded steadily, taking her shaking hand in consolation.

"It's Hank isn't it? The reason you're not staying?" I deduced and she peered up with a perturbed expression.

"Not really," she refuted, the faint vibrations of her almost inaudible voice nearly getting lost in transmission.

"Have you told him?" I prodded warily.

"It'll be the first thing I do when I get back to the office," she revealed promptly but almost purposefully without further elaboration.

"Now that Kurt is back, don't you want to be here as a family?" I pried tentatively.

"Kurt's still recovering. I don't want the first thing he learns to be that his mother is a bitch," she denounced, criticizing herself harshly and unreservedly.

"Raven..." I whimpered, cupping her face as I brushed away the plump tear that speedily rolled down her fair cheeks.

"Listen, Lynn. When I was acting as Kelly, I was forced to implement many nasty protocols in the administration. It was against my will, whatever, but I know there's no point crying over spilled milk. So now that I have regained control, I want to make up for my mistakes," Raven convinced with a brave smile.

"I want to stay in cabinet. Revoke all the policies I've wrongly raised. If the President doesn't listen to Charles, at least I'll still be there to keep everything in check. I want to do my part to make sure that we can be treated reasonably," she justified but her noble grounds were starkly shrouded by the risks presented.

"I know you mean well, Raven. But it's too dangerous. It's fishy if your stand changes suddenly. If they find out you're not Kelly... I don't want you in any trouble, Raven," I refuted, my heart churning in worry just at the thought of the looming perils.

"All these years amongst them, I am still appalled by how dull humans can get. They're not going to find out," she maintained, absolutely not disturbed.

"But if Charles succeeds today, and I hope he will, the President will need someone to monitor the mutant situation. Currently, my team is the only one that's experienced in dealing with these controversial matters. Clearly, he will seek men from me. And I think it's only best if we have someone trusted," Raven disclosed in a secretive tone.

"I'm planning to recommend Hank," she unveiled, grinning proudly.

"You've thought all of these through, haven't you?" I enquired, positively amused at the lengths and depths of her detailed arrangements.

"Thinking's the only thing I've done since I became myself again," she admitted.