"no good ever came from telling someone you can manipulate them."
Not all mutants are able to come out of the shadows and tell the world to take them as they are. CIA Agent Josephine March is one such mutant. It takes a team of people just like Jos...
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~<x>~
Somehow, the group had split. Raven and Hank had gone off somewhere while Charles, Moira, Erik and Josie all sat in various places around the room Moira would be staying in. The room was conveniently placed in between Charles and Josie's rooms while Eriks was on the opposite side of Josie's.
Charles was telling a story about a colleague of his while Moira sat beside him, engrossed in his story. Josie was by the window, her elbows resting on the sill as she looked out into the night. Erik was beside her, leant against the other side of the windowsill, a coin floating through his fingers. His aura was pulsing beside her, her headache resurfacing with a vengeance as she tried to concentrate on the night sky rather than the crimson red beside her.
Josie turned to look at Erik as she asked him, "What's that?" She pointed at the coin still floating between his fingers when he looked at her in confusion.
He allowed the coin to float from his fingers and over to her, halting until she opened a palm, and smoothly landing into it. She examined the coin, turned it over in her palm. It was warm and warn out at the edges. Josie felt the crimson fade to a dull ache. She looked over at Erik to see him looking out into the night, his aura indigo - concentration - with an under ombre of crimson.
The pair remained in silence until the coin suddenly removed itself from Josie's hand, falling into Erik's open palm quickly. The woman watched him, carefully picking apart every layer of color that appeared in his aura until it was as smooth as a wet stone and as dull as Agent Occult.
"You're staring." Erik noted. He turned to look at the brunette before him as she turned her body to face him rather than the cool night beyond the window.
"You're very... intense." Josie replied, "Your thoughts, your emotions, your speech... it's all very meticulous and intense."
Erik was taken aback by this observation of hers; she knew this because his aura flashed lime green - surprise - and light pink - amusement rather than flirtation. He stepped closer to the curious woman, their breaths mingling with the night air. His eyes searched her own, asking a question Josie wasn't sure of.
"Pity." He mumbled, glancing down for half a second at her lips.
Josie felt heat rise to her cheeks as she wondered what he had meant by that. Was it a pity he couldn't answer, or a pity he couldn't kiss her? It was rare for Josephine March to be flustered, much less by such an intimidating man as Erik Lehnsherr. His aura flashed dark pink - lust?! - while her fingers danced between magenta - embarrassment - and teal - nervous - behind her back.
A simple hum of acknowledgement for what he had said was all she could muster before he was breaking their eye contact and brushing past her. The blushing woman watched Erik make his way to the door and disappear through it once it was open.
~<x>~
Josie couldn't sleep, again. This time it was because if Charles and his loud emotions that radiated down the hallway and past her door, keeping the woman awake after Eriks crimson veil had startled her from her thoughts. She pulled herself out of the comfort of her bed and immediately pulled on an oversized navy blue crewneck sweatshirt to cover the silky tank top and matching shorts.
It stopped just beneath the shorts but she didn't think of that as she hurriedly ran out the door barefoot. Josie shut the door softly behind her, taking large footsteps to reduce the level of noise she would make. She followed behind Charles at a distance, watching as he exited the building.
With a furrowed brow, Josie crept closer to the glass doors and peered out into the darkness where Charles was talking to Erik about leaving. She watched Eriks aura flutter golden yellow - hope - over the crimson red she had started to grow accustomed to associating with Erik.
Charles turned suddenly, coming towards the doors again. Josie crossed the hall, whispering in a panic as her entire body flashed lime green with her lack of control in that moment, "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!"
Charles's oxford shoes clapped against the concrete floors as he neared her, she willed him to turn right and not look back. With a sigh of relief when he had turned down another hallway, Josie stepped away from the wall to try and sneak back to her room. She had taken one lunge before a voice stopped her dead in her tracks.
"Josephine?"
Josie quickly stood upright to face Erik who was holding his suitcase with a white knuckle. Her eyes flickered from him to the open hallway before her and back as she bit her lower lip in thought.
Luckily she didn't have to think for long as Erik teased, "I thought CIA Agents were supposed to be undetectable?"
A smirk found its way onto his lips as she rolled her eyes tiredly, "Oh ha ha, Erik. Poke all the fun you want, at least I wasn't planning on running off when-"
A gentle chuckle cut her off and she sent a glare his way, "Why are you laughing?"
Erik approached the woman, getting as close to her as he could while still being able to look into her eyes, "Go on. When what?"
"When people, mutants, are in danger. You've been with us for one day and already you've decided you don't need our help in taking down Shaw. I don't exactly know what your personal vendetta against him is but, after last night, you almost killing yourself before we've had a chance to stop him, should remind you that you cannot possibly do it alone." Josie blurted, not backing down from Eriks intense gaze.
Only God knew what was going through the serious mans head as Josie tried her hardest not to look anywhere but his eyes. Blue eyes clashed with dark brown ones in a match against wills. Erik was the first to look away and down the empty hallway that lead to their rooms. He looked down at the fiery woman before him, "Let me walk you back to your room. It's late."
Josie felt her fingers flash lime green - surprise - for a beat and she quickly hid them in the sleeves of her shirt. Erik began walking away from her but she stood still, her brunette hair falling stylishly messy from the bun she slept in. He looked back at her and rose an eyebrow when she didn't follow. Slowly she crossed her arms to keep herself warm and walked past him, feeling his gaze settle onto her.
