xiii. him

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ten years gone by led zeppelin

it scared him to be so unsure. it scared him so much he couldn't sleep that night. he lay away with his eyes burning from staring at the darkness. his body ached.

he got up before the sun rose, showered, and changed. he went down the stairs and made a cup of coffee as the sun brimmed the horizon. soon enough, the early-risers of the kids were up and about.

some knew him and would say hello or ask how he was. he always answered with kindness, asking about the game they were playing or the lesson they learned in school the day before.

he downed two cups of coffee before he got the nerve to climb the stairs again and talk to xavier. he knocked twice on xavier's bedroom door. the professor's room was the attic.

it was spacious, sure, but it was incredibly drab. bugs crawled in the summer and dust accumulated in the winter. he decorated it with maps and stacks of books here and there, and only three pieces of furniture (a bed, armchair, and desk/chair set).

when there was no answer, logan opened the door. professor xavier sat in his wheelchair, sipping his tea and reading a play.

he looked up.

"good morning," he greeted.

"good morning," logan repeated. "beck and i were talking last night and she brought something to my attention-"

"that the others are alive too?" charles nodded his head for logan to sit in the armchair, and he did.

"i asked you not to roam my head without my knowing," logan insisted.

"i didn't roam," charles folded the corner of his page down and closed the book in his lap. "i heard you two from my terrace."

"oh," logan stated. he was going to say something about eavesdropping, but gave up the fight. "well?"

"well," charles paused, mulling it over. "it's not improbable. it's very likely, actually. they weren't frozen as she was, which ensures a greater chance of survival. i think we should look into surrounding security cameras, neighbors, and city files. i'll send scott out to get started when he wakes..."

"and another thing."

"yes?"

"i think we should run some tests on beck. i need to know she's okay up there, that the cryo-freeze didn't have any lasting affects, and that the power hasn't changed too much. we can tell her it's protocol or something."

he hated the idea of lying to her, but he hated being in the dark more.

xavier nodded.

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