Winter Wonderland

Posted on Sun Apr 13th, 2025 @ 8:51pm by Bobby Drake & Hayden Davis

11,846 words; about a 59 minute read

Mission: Episode 6: X-Fernus Agenda
Location: X-Mansion / Salem Center
Timeline: December 18th, 1990

The mission to Genosha had been a hard one for a certain new X-Man in more ways than one. It had caused lots of thoughts, questions, and was challenging her to her core. But Hayden didn't want to think about all of that right now. It was winter at the X-Mansion and only a little while left until Christmas. The sprawling grounds were covered in snow which made everything look pure and pristine.

Hayden's parents had sent her an early present with instructions to open it and put it to good use. She donned the new winter clothes and looked at herself in the mirror before leaving her room. She wore sturdy, fur-lined, black winter boots with gray fleece-lined leggings tucked into them. Peeking out from the faux fur cuffs of her white coat was the light blue thermal sweater she was wearing underneath. Fitted, but cozy. The ensemble was topped off with a pair of black insulated gloves and a white, knitted beanie.

She smiled and made a mental note to call her mom later. Hayden went outside and walked about halfway down to the lake. She spent the next little while in the open area building a snowman. When she finally got the head on, she noticed it was nearly a foot shorter than she was. She used her water powers to smooth out the snowman and hope and together better. She took a step back and smile, satisfied. Now it was time to go on a search for something to use as arms and a face.

Bobby had been on his way out of the mansion when a flash of movement in the snow caught his eye. He slowed his pace, squinting through the crisp winter air until he spotted her—Hayden, bundled up in white, standing in the middle of the field near the lake, rolling a massive ball of snow across the ground.

He smirked to himself. A snowman? Now that was a sight he hadn't seen in a while. Most people at the mansion were too busy brooding, training, or quitting the team to bother with something so simple. But there she was, completely absorbed in her work, packing snow into a respectable if boring snowman. He could see her breath puffing in the cold, her face scrunched up in concentration as she set the final piece in place.

Something about it tugged at him—nostalgia, maybe. Or just the undeniable itch to stir up a little trouble.

Bobby rubbed his hands together, already feeling the familiar tingle of cold gathering in his palms. If she was gonna build a snowman, she might as well see how it was really done.

By the time Hayden returned with an armful of branches, Bobby was already standing a few feet away from his creation, arms crossed over his chest, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

Next to the lumpy, stacked-sphere snowman she had been building was a veritable ice sculpture. It gleamed as though carved by an artisan rather than hastily thrown together in a snow-covered field. The snowman was seamless, each section molded into the next in a smooth, glossy finish.

Bobby tilted his head and shot her a smirk, hands on his hips like he was waiting for her inevitable awe. "Not bad, huh?" he said, giving the sculpture a quick once-over. "Figured I'd, you know, class things up a little. Not every day you get to see a pro at work."

"Hey, Bobby," she said, smiling. "Well, it is your element after all; snow and ice. So yeah, not too bad," she added, dropping the bundle of sticks at the foot of her snowman. Hayden walked over to Bobby's sculpture and put her arm around it while grinning. "Now it's classed up." She tried to stifle a laugh, but failed miserably.

Bobby chuckled, shaking his head as he watched Hayden try—and fail—to stifle her laughter. There was something breezy and charming about the way she carried herself, like she was in on a joke the rest of the world hadn't figured out yet. The winsome mystique had tugged at Bobby before, back when they'd hung out at the Halloween part. Here and now, he couldn't help the grin tugging at his lips.

"Yeah, well, I gotta admit," he said, tilting his head as he appraised her with playful admiration, "you could class up any joint, even a frozen masterpiece like this one."

As Hayden stepped away, Bobby lifted his hands, ice crackling to life at his fingertips. With a few fluid motions, he sculpted smooth, graceful limbs onto the snowman, perfectly mimicking the pose Hayden had just struck. The ice glimmered under the winter light, a near-perfect tribute to her playful stance.

He let out a low whistle, nodding in mock appreciation. "Damn. That's some of my finest work right there."

Turning to Hayden, the twinkle in his eye betraying something warmer beneath the humor, Bobby asked, "What do you think? A spitting image, or do I need to add, I dunno, a mischievous little smirk to really capture the essence of Hayden?"

Hayden blushed a little at Bobby''s comment and his ice sculpture of her pose. But she hoped it blended in well enough with the red color from from the cold so that it wouldn't be as noticeable. She walked over to stand next to Bobby so she could get a better look from a different angle.

"Hmmm...I think you should add the mischievous smirk. It'll definitely show the essence of me. And yes, very fine work," she added. "I bet you've won your fair share of ice sculpting competitions."

Bobby snorted, shaking his head. "Ice sculpting competitions? Never even heard of ‘em. But if they’re a thing, feels like I’d be cheating if I entered. 'Oh wow, look at that guy with the literal ice powers winning again.' Yeah, real fair."

He shot her a grin before turning his attention back to the sculpture, adding a subtle smirk to its frozen lips with a quick flick of his fingers. The result was uncanny—capturing Hayden's playful charm in a way that made it almost seem alive.

"There, now it's got the full Hayden effect," he said, dusting off his hands like an artist finishing a masterpiece. "No autographs, please."

But then, as he glanced over at her, something shifted in his expression. The teasing edge softened, replaced with something more sincere. "Speaking of kicking ass," he added, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets, "you really brought it in Genosha." His voice was light, but there was a weight behind it—genuine respect. "I mean, I knew you were good in the Danger Room, but damn. You really stepped up."

The mention of Genosha made her a dash more solemn. That place...that wicked place and those evil people. "Do what you have to do to make sure you don't have to do it again." She picked up a couple of sticks and shoved them into the sides of her snowman for arms. "But thanks. I had a good teacher," she said, her smile returning. "He helped me to think outside the box, which paid off in a lot of ways. Thanks."

Bobby blinked at her words, the corners of his mouth twitching up into a pleased, almost bashful grin. He'd never really thought of himself as a teacher before. Sure, he'd helped out here and there, but hearing Hayden actually credit him for her growth? That hit different.

Still, instead of puffing up and taking undue credit like he might have in the past, Bobby just shrugged, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets. "That was all the Prof's idea, y'know. He figured you had the potential, and, well..."

He tilted his head, flashing her an easygoing smirk. Not knowing what else to say, he let out a chuckle and shook his head. "Normally, this is where I'd say something cool to impress you, but uh..." He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, his smirk turning wry. "I guess I'm just going to be super lame instead and say it was all you. All I did was help you bring it out."

"Well, whoever the source, it worked," she said. "Still, thanks for your part in it." Hayden broke one of the remaining branches into inch-long pieces and placed four of them on the center of her snowman for buttons. She then used the rest to make his smile and nose. She took from her pocket two dirty rocks that she'd managed to find under the dock and pressed them into his head for eyes.

"There. Whaddya think, Bobby?" she asked as she took a few steps back. "It's not as sleek as yours, but you had a better model." She smirked and struck the same pose as Bobby's ice sculpture. "Speaking of super lame, all Frosty can do when it comes to modeling is this." Hayden stuck her arms out, angled them up, and twisted her hands like branches. She scrunched her face and smiled weirdly. "Look at me, I'm Frosty the Snowman."

Bobby raised a brow, crossing his arms with an amused smirk. "I dunno, Frosty’s got some serious competition. That pose? Kinda cute, kinda nightmare fuel, but not exactly snowman vibes." His grin widened as his eyes lingered on her, something unreadable flickering behind them. "Though, uh... gotta admit, I like you as a model a lot better, too."

He caught himself. His breath hitched, and for half a second, he realized he'd been looking—really looking. At the way the winter light caught in her eyes, at the way her smirk carried just the right amount of mischief, at the way she was just so easy to be around. He almost said something else, almost let it slip that he was getting way too into this.

Instead, Bobby cleared his throat, shaking it off with a laugh as he nodded toward the lake. "Tell you what... if you really wanna see something cool, come out to the ice with me."

With that, he took a few effortless strides backward before pushing off, gliding across the frozen surface with the ease of someone who belonged there. The wind caught his jacket, ruffling his hair, and he twisted around in a smooth turn, skating backwards in a lazy arc before coming to a graceful stop in the middle of the lake.

Hayden had stepped out of her Frosty impersonation and back into herself. She watched Bobby slid away toward the frozen lake. She'd never really paid that kind of attention to the guy, but the wind in his hair caught her eye. She walked to the lake and carefully made her way onto the ice as she scoot-walked towards Bobby. The girl's night conversations came back, a gentle reminder in the back of her mind. "Okay, Mr. Cool, what am I gonna see?"

As Hayden reached him, Bobby was standing with his hands up, fingers forming a square as he squinted through them like a photographer setting up the perfect shot. His breath curled in the cold air, and he grinned as she came to a stop beside him.

"Yeah, I think this is the right spot," he said, lowering his hands and nodding to himself.

Bobby pointed straight down at the thick, frozen surface beneath their feet. "What I wanted to show you." His smirk turned just a little wicked. "It's on the bottom of the lake."

The frozen surface was thick, and beneath it, the deep, dark water of the lake stretched down into the unknown.

Bobby's grin widened, eyes twinkling with challenge. "Gotta' thaw the ice and get us to dry land at the bottom if you want to see it. Think you can handle that?" Bobby held up his hands innocently. "Hey, if you're not up for it, I get it. Probably too much for you." He smirked. "Figured after Genosha, you'd be ready for a little high-stakes power flex, but maybe not..."

Hayden looked at Bobby out of the corner of her eye, an expression on her face that said challenge accepted. "Oh I'm up for it. Step back, Iceman, and let Calypso do her job," she said with all the confidence of a toddler wearing a Batman tee-shirt.

It was something that she'd never done before. But she'd in done some of that in Genosha. And ice was just frozen water, right? Hayden could manipulate the base elements in the air and have water molecules that she could work with. Why not work with the same molecules in a different state?

She took her gloves off and shoved them in her coat pockets. She didn't close her eyes this time, but simply concentrated and pointed her hands at the ice. She would have to sense the slow moving molecules and excite them to increase their kinetic energy. The rigid hydrogen bonds would break and the solid state would transition into a liquid state.

As Hayden started, little pools of water began to gather at their feet and run together. A circle of melted lake water about half an inch deep formed around them. Hayden brought melted ice up and started to form a secure bubble around she and Bobby. If they were to go down to the lake bottom, they would a thick, pressurized water shield around them big enough to have the necessary amount of oxygen.

"Steady yourself," she said, still concentrating. "We'll start down through the ice soon enough. The lake water beneath it will be easier. You got a flashlight?"

Bobby chuckled, brushing off the need for a flashlight. "No need for that. The ambient light from above should be enough. Trust me, you'll be able to see everything just fine." He grinned while the bubble of water encased them, feeling the weight of the pressurized shield.

As they slowly descended through the ice, Bobby's eyes shone with the excitement of the reveal. The water was clear enough to see the bottom of the lake, and in the dim, ethereal glow of the light filtering from above, there it was: the huge sheet of metal.

"Check that out," Bobby said, gesturing to the massive piece of sheet metal on the lake's floor. "I put that there years ago as a prank for Hank. He was still in his diving phase before he grew his fur. Thought it'd be hilarious to put it down there with a message just for him. It cracked me up."

He leaned in closer, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "But Hank? Oh, he thought it was the funniest thing ever. Still does, I think."

The metal glinted in the dim light as the words became clearer: SEMPER UBI SUB UBI.

"Wow. That's pretty good for a prank," she said. "Quite a ways to go, too. My Latin is a little rusty, though. What does it mean?"

Bobby pointed out each Latin word and said the English translation in turn: Always. Where. Under. Where." Of course, it sounded like Always wear underwear. "I read it in a joke book and thought it would be the perfect prank. You know, always wear underwear... when you're under where? Lake bottom. Under the water." Bobby rubbed the back of his neck, realizing it wasn't so funny if he had to explain it. "Hank laughed himself stupid..."

Hayden was processing Bobby's explanation of the joke as he gave it "Underwear." She giggled. "Under where?" She laughed. "On the bottom!' Then she laughed so hard that she snorted a little. "Semper ubi sub ubi... I'm gonna have to remember that the next time I'm in the infirmary. See if I can catch Doctor McCoy off guard. So, anything else you wanna explore while we're down here? Or set up another prank?"

Bobby’s grin widened at Hayden’s reaction, the kind of genuine, full-bellied laughter that made him feel like an actual comedic genius for once. "See? That's the reaction I was hoping for," he said, leaning back with a satisfied smirk. "Took you a second, but you got there. Worth it."

He stretched his arms behind his head, glancing down at the submerged metal sign again, his expression turning just a little nostalgic. "You know, I should've done more of these. Maybe hidden a whole bunch of dumb jokes around campus for future generations to find.” He shot her a sidelong look, smirking all the while. "Think of the long game, Hayden. Twenty years from now, some kid could stumble across another secret message and lose their mind!"

"That'd be so much fun," said Hayden. She began to slowly lift them off the lake bottom and towards the hole in the ice they had descended through. "Even if you didn't see or hear about what happened when they found them, just knowing that they were there and making people laugh all those years later would be worth it." She paused and looked up to ensure they were on track for the exit. "People just need to relax and laugh more."

Bobby's grin turned warm, open in a way that stripped away his usual bravado. "See, that's what I've been sayin' all along! People just need to chill out, have fun. But coming from me, 'chill out' just sounds like a dumb pun." He let out a small laugh, shaking his head. "I swear, I make one accidental ice pun and suddenly I'm a walking dad joke factory."

As they drifted upward, the fading winter light caught Hayden just right—golden hues threading through her hair and reflected in her eyes like captured sunlight. Bobby blinked, caught off guard by the way the moment framed her, how casually radiant she looked.

For a second, his thoughts scrambled. He almost said something stupid. Almost let himself get caught up in the moment. But instead, he played it cool—mostly.

"So, uh," he said, stretching his arms behind his head, abandoning nonchalance in favor of a full-morning stretch. "Since we're both turning to a life of crime and mischievous pranks, what do you say we grab a bite in town? Strategize our next strike. Real evil genius kinda' stuff." His smirk returned, teasing but hopeful. "You in?"

"Oh I don't know about being an evil genius in a life of crime," Hayden said with a laugh. "But I could go for some harmless pranks." As they neared the hole in the ice, Hayden shifted their water bubble shield. She was off by about six inches, but that wasn't bad, all things considered.

When their footing was secure on the frozen lake, she pushed her arms out from her sides and dispersed the water bubble into a fine mist. "I wouldn't mind grabbing a bite in town," she said, smiling at Bobby. "Sounds like fun. What did you have in mind?"

Bobby smirked, rubbing the back of his neck as he considered his options. The old him? Oh, the old him would've thrown out some half-baked scheme—sneaking off with some booze, crashing some place they weren't old enough to be, something just risky enough to be thrilling. But now? Nah.

Instead just he shrugged, deciding to keep it simple. Maybe he'd grown up a little after all. "There's this ice cream shop in town—place is kinda' legendary. If you've never been, you're seriously missing out."

Before Hayden could even answer, Bobby took a step backward, still caught up in his own casual coolness. Unfortunately, he failed to account for the treacherous ice beneath his feet.

His back heel betrayed him. Then his arms flailed. And then—WHAM!

He hit the ice hard, his breath vanishing in one spectacular "Oof!" as he lay sprawled on the frozen surface, blinking up at the sky in stunned silence.

A beat of quiet. Then came Hayden's laugh. It started small, barely contained, but it quickly snowballed into full, uncontrollable giggles.

Bobby groaned, tilting his head just enough to glare at her through squinted eyes. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," he wheezed. "I meant to do that. Testing the structural integrity of the ice. Very important work."

Between giggles, Hayden managed to get out, "Yeah, sure. And I'm the queen of England." When the giggles subsided, she leaned down next to Bobby, intent on leaving him there a few more seconds. "You know, that hole in the lake ice reminds me of a joke my dad likes to tell. How do you catch a polar bear? You cut a hole in the ice and line it with peas. When the polar bear goes to take a pea, you kick him in the ice-hole." A deadpan look on her face was quickly followed by a smirk.

Try as he might, Bobby couldn't hold back the snicker that demanded to get out. It punched its way through his pouting lips. "That's terrible," Bobby said, "and I absolutely love it."

She then extended her hand, "C'mon, Slippy, let's get you up and off this ice before you fall in the other direction. Not everyone can manage to wipe out on their own element. Slippy, though,...I like that." She grinned at Bobby, a hint of mischievousness in her eyes as she reached to help him to his feet.

"Slippy, huh?" Bobby matched her mischievous look with one of his own as he shot a chilly burst across the icy lake surface and removed what little traction Hayden had under her feet. "I like the sound of that."

While her fall wasn't nearly so dramatic as Bobby's due to her stooped position, he still found it just as amusing. Her graceful plop made her hair bounce across her shoulders and catch a dusting of icy mist. "Stay frosty," Bobby quipped, smirking at the turnabout.

Hayden sat there for a minute, stunned and with a sore bottom. "Frosty, huh. I can live with that." She laughed again, "It's on now, Slippy." She tossed her frosty hair back over her shoulders and from her seated position on the ice, flicked her wrist towards the hole. A mist shot up from the water underneath the ice and headed straight for the both of them.

Bobby's smirk widened as he saw the mist rising. With a swift gesture, he threw his hands out to either side and, in an instant, the mist froze into a crystalline web with multiple arches of ice forming a glistening maze that shimmered in the fading light. The frozen tendrils wrapped and curled artfully around them, like they were standing inside a snow globe mid-sparkle.

"Nice try," Bobby teased, glancing around at his own handiwork, clearly pleased with himself.

Then, without missing a beat, he hopped backward onto a newly formed ice slide, letting it twist and loop in tight circles around Hayden. He spun around her in a dizzying display, arms out for balance, grinning like a kid showing off on a skateboard.

"What now, Frosty?" he called out as he shot past her in another tight loop, leaving behind a trail of fresh, slick ice in his wake. "Gonna need more than a little mist if you're gonna keep up with moi!"

"Clearly I need more training, teach," she said as she watched Bobby make his rounds on his ice slide. There was a touch of snarkiness in her voice as he showed off. "The snow globe web is a nice touch, though. Really, it's pretty with all of the sparkling. But are we still going to have to time to make it into town for ice cream, Slippy?"

Bobby's grin only grew wider at her challenge, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh, we're definitely still getting ice cream," he shot back with a wink.

Before Hayden could react, Bobby swooped in on his ice slide, the curve of it banking sharply around her. With a smooth grab like he'd done a million times on mission, he reached down and scooped her up from where she was sitting, pulling her onto the slide with him.

Hayden let out a sharp yelp as she found herself suddenly airborne, clinging to his side as the ice raced beneath them.

"Hang on tight, Frosty!" Bobby laughed, already twisting them into a wide arc that shot up off the lake and toward the tree line. The momentum carried them higher, the forest falling away below as they glided above the snow-dusted treetops.

The wind whipped at Hayden's hair while Bobby stood shoulders hunched while holding one of her hands around his waist, acting as a natural windbreak to keep the worst of the cold from hitting her full-on.

When he glanced back over his shoulder at her, there was a playful glint in his eye but also a quiet check-in, making sure she was okay. "Still with me?" he called, though his voice was soft enough that it was almost just for her.

With her free hand, Hayden was briefly tracing airplane-like motions through the wind, just as she used to when she held her hand out of the car window. "Oh, uh, yeah. I'm still with you, Slippy. Though, let's not try to do that while we're up so high, okay?" She laughed a little as she put her free hand around Bobby's waist, her gloves still shoved deep in her pockets, and interlaced her fingers with her other one.

"Everything looks so beautiful from up here, covered in snow," Hayden murmured just loud enough for Bobby to hear. "It really is a winter wonderland." The thoughts had slipped out without her realizing it, lingering in the air for a moment. She hesitated, then quickly shifted gears. "Um, so...what's your favorite ice cream flavor?"

Bobby glanced back over his shoulder at her, grinning as her words settled between them like snowflakes hanging in the air. "Strawberry swirl," he said with a lopsided smirk, his cheeks pink from both the cold and—if he was honest with himself—her arms wrapped around him. "It's always been my favorite." He turned his head forward again, but not before adding with a sly glimmer in his eye, "Guess I always liked that mix of sweet and... surprising. Kinda' like someone I know."

For a second, Bobby let himself enjoy the quiet moment—the snow-glazed trees below them, the pale gold light of the sunset catching in Hayden's strawberry blonde hair as it danced in the breeze.

"And hey," he continued, his voice warmer now, "looks like you were right. Today really did turn into a winter wonderland."

Hayden was not so naive that she didn't pick up on the subtleness of things. The warmth rose in her cheeks as she blushed at Bobby's words. "Thanks. You're pretty fun, yourself," she said sheepishly, fully intending not to use the words 'cool' or 'chill.'

She took that moment of quiet to gaze at the horizon. Hayden hadn't seen the sunset from this high up. It was amazing to the point that she let out a little sigh. Then she began humming the tune to the song Winter Wonderland as she looked back down at the ground.

A few seconds later, she stopped humming and said, "My dad always makes homemade ice cream during the summers. The only time he makes it in the winter is at Christmas and people are like 'what in the world, that's crazy.' So dad shakes his head and tells them that he was crazy once. Then they locked him in a rubber room. At that point, they all start laughing and mom rolls her eyes." Hayden paused and smiled at the memory.

"Oh, my bad," she said, shaking her head. "I kinda rambled a little. Um, anyway, my top two favorites are wild blueberry and black raspberry."

As Bobby gently lowered them from their soaring ice slide, the glowing lights of the town came into view, twinkling like a thousand Christmas bulbs nestled between snow-covered rooftops. The wind died down as they coasted to a stop near the ice cream parlor, its neon sign still flickering Open with the faint suggestion that closing time was fast approaching.

"Wild blueberry and black raspberry it is," Bobby said, shooting a grin over his shoulder at Hayden as he let her down carefully onto the snowy sidewalk.

Inside, the parlor was quiet, mostly empty except for two teenage clerks wiping down tables and stacking chairs. They looked up as the door chimed, and one of them blinked in surprise, clearly caught off guard by the late arrival.

"Hey, sorry to bother you guys," Bobby greeted with a casual but charming grin. "Any chance we can sneak in a last order before you close?"

The older of the two clerks smirked but nodded. "We were just about to finish up, but yeah, we can do one more."

Bobby turned to Hayden, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. "We'll take a full berry spread—wild blueberry, black raspberry, strawberry, cherry, whatever you got. Hit us with all the fruity stuff."

The younger clerk raised a brow. "That's gonna be a lot of berry, man."

"Perfect," Bobby said without missing a beat. "Big enough to share."

As the clerks got to work, Bobby leaned casually against the counter, glancing over at Hayden with a grin that softened into something warmer. "Gotta warn you," he said, tilting his head, "this is probably a guaranteed ice cream headache for anyone remotely human." He winked. "Luckily for me, I’m basically an ice cube on the inside. Perks of being Mr. Freeze."

"Oh I don't doubt it about the ice cream headache," she said. His wink, thought Hayden, was probably for the remotely human comment. But in the back of her mind, she wondered for few seconds. She enjoyed hanging out with Bobby and being goofy. And then he mentioned sweet and surprising. Did she dare?

"I don't think you're a total ice cube on the inside. You're getting my favorite flavors of ice cream and more...there has to be a warm spot in there somewhere," she said pointing at his chest. Feeling a bit self-conscious and unsure after what she'd just said, Hayden looked down at the counter. She tried to manage her nervous energy by tucking a strand of hair back underneath her beanie and behind her ear.

For a long second, Bobby just stared, blinking like he wasn’t sure if he heard her right—or if she meant what he thought she meant. His eyes followed her finger as it pointed so near to his chest, his breath catching slightly.

When she quickly looked down, tucking her hair back under her beanie with that nervous little fidget, something about it—her honesty, her vulnerability—clicked something deep inside him.

His grin faded, but not because he was put off. Something more real replaced it.

"Hayden..."

His voice was quieter now, and for once, lacking all the usual snark or teasing. No more kidding around, no more juvenile banter or slick talk. "Look... I don't wanna make things weird, and if I'm reading this wrong, tell me and I'll shut up. But..."

Bobby exhaled through his nose, glancing down at the counter for a second, as if gathering courage, before meeting her eyes again.

"I’ve felt like there’s... something between us for a while now."

His brows furrowed just a little as he searched her face, hoping she wouldn’t pull away or laugh it off.

"Like, I dunno. Every time we hang out, it feels... easy, and fun, but also like maybe there's something more? And if I’m not the only one feeling that... if you are too—"

He smiled softly, almost shyly, which was rare for him... a real, unguarded smile.

"—Maybe we could, I dunno... see each other more? Like officially? Not just as prank partners or ice cream buddies?"

There was a pause where even the workers behind the counter seemed to fade into the background, their voices muffled against the thrum of Bobby’s heart as he waited.

"Only if you want to," he added quickly, holding up a hand as if to reassure her. "I mean, if it would be weird, I totally get it. But... I just thought maybe..."

Hayden sat and listened to Bobby as he talked. Had she been the one to try to put her feelings and thoughts into words for the first time, she would've been all over the place. If she even managed to finish a sentence.

"Yeah, I've kinda wondered about that feeling too... Like there could be something more. I like hanging out with you, Bobby, and having fun and being goofy."

She paused and glanced back down at the counter for a few seconds. Then looking back to Bobby with a warm smile, "I'd like to see more of you, too...officially. Other than being goofy and playing pranks," she added. "But I've never been official with a boy before. So, I don't know what's next or anything like that."

She didn't take her eyes off of Bobby's while she waited.

"Well, that's the thing," Bobby said. "Me neither. At least... not outside of school or anything. I did try and date this girl from the coffee shop once but that went nowhere fast." His admission came fast and free now that he'd let his guard down. Not only had Hayden not rejected him, she'd actually commiserated. She felt the same way, in both affection and feeling lost as what to do with it.

"Can I say it's strangely comforting to hear you say that?" He chuckled at his own rhetorical question. "I mean that I always screw things up. If there's a way, I'll find it. But... it's like I don't have that worry with you."

"Order up!" The ice cream platter slid across the counter just in time for Bobby to catch it. There had to be a dozen different scoops on the massive cafeteria-style tray.

"Whoa! Uh, thanks," Bobby said as he caught the tray by reflex. He threw a bundle of cash on the counter and sat down at the nearest booth. Once they were seated, Bobby's nervous laughter faded into a sigh framed by a look of sincerity. "What do you really like to do? I guess we could start there and see what happens."

He stabbed the black raspberry with a spoon and offered it to Hayden. It bought her time to think about what he said. If she changed her mind and backed out after second thoughts, then at least he would have this moment without the sting of rejection.

Hayden followed Bobby to the booth and sat down opposite him and the tray of ice cream. She accepted the offered spoon with mod of 'thanks' and savored the bite of black raspberry while giving some earnest thought to his question.

"Well," she said after swallowing the ice cream, "I like swimming...or really most anything in the water. But you can't do that in the winter unless you're a polar bear. So I just stick to the indoor pool and the indoor running track until the Spring thaw. But a good book, a roaring fireplace, and a cup of hot chocolate can't be beat in this weather. How about you? What do you like to do when you're not doing X-Factor stuff? New York City is a huge place where all." She scooped some wild blueberry.

"Well, you know," Bobby began, modeling Hayden's affectation without realizing it, "these days a lot of what I do is work and school. The Professor’s got me on a business degree track, so I’ve been learning, like, the actual boring parts of running a team — payroll, funding, logistics. You know... superhero office stuff," he chuckled lightly, giving her a playful look that acknowledged how lame it sounded.

"And then there was that whole mess with tracking down that assassin," Bobby added, a little more serious for a moment, swirling his spoon absently. "You know, the one that kicked off the whole MRA mess with Senator Kelly. That was... intense. I mean, I won't lie, parts of it were kinda exciting. Felt like we were doing something new on top of making a difference, you know? But honestly? A lot of that was luck. Dumb luck."

He laughed suddenly, glancing up at her, a hint of red in his cheeks as he caught himself rambling. "And now I sound super boring, don’t I?" He gave a mock grimace. "'Hi, I’m Bobby. I like math, spreadsheets, and tracking down murderers in my free time'."

Shaking his head with a small grin, he stabbed at a bit of the strawberry swirl and looked up at her with a softer expression. "Guess I haven't really thought about the fun stuff in a while. But... I used to like skating. Obviously. I mean, ice guy, right? Kind of comes with the territory. And hockey, before I ever got powers, I did okay." Then he smiled a little more genuinely. "Honestly, I think I’d rather figure out what's fun with the person I'm hanging out with than have a list. Makes it more interesting."

Hayden took a spoonful of the strawberry swirl that Bobby had said reminded him of someone. It was sweet and surprising, with the tartness of the strawberries. She blushed as she thought of the comparison from a more accurate understanding.

"I guess somebody has to do all the boring stuff. Too bad that's you, though." Hayden smiled. I'm that moment, she wished could have seen Bobby playing hockey on a team.

"I think you're right, figuring out what's fun for the both of us. It just means we'll need to hang out more often so we can learn what those are." Hayden liked that idea, spending more time with Bobby. They could be prank partners, ice cream buddies, and now official...something. "Whenever we can find time, I mean. Between X-Men and X-Factor, I bet we stay pretty busy."

Bobby chuckled softly, his shoulders relaxing as he scooped up another spoonful of ice cream. "Yeah, we'll just have to find time... like right now," he echoed, smiling at how easy this was — how easy she was to be around, without the usual pressure to be Bobby the Jokester or Iceman the Cool Guy.

There was something different about this moment, and maybe that's why his next words started tumbling out before he could think them through.

"You know..." he started, swirling his spoon absentmindedly in the melting mix of fruity colors, "It's kinda weird, but I don't think I've ever really done this before. The honest routine."

He glanced up at Hayden, eyes bright but uncertain. "I mean, yeah, sure, I hang out with people. I joke around. Flirt a little. But like..." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, a nervous laugh breaking out of him. "God, I know I have a rep, okay? The guy who's always cracking wise and hitting on people. I know what people think about me."

His smile faltered for just a second. "But honestly? Most of that... was just me trying to keep up. You never knew Warren from before, but he always seemed like he had everything together—cool, rich, smooth—like he knew how to be 'that guy'. So I thought if I acted like him, maybe I'd figure it out too."

He paused, realizing his heart was racing a bit, like it always did when he wasn't hiding behind a joke. "But, uh... I don't think I ever let anybody actually get to know me. Not really. Not beyond, like, telepaths in my head. But even then, I keep walls up, you know?"

Bobby looked down at his ice cream for a moment, then suddenly blurted out, his words rushing together before he could stop them:

"And I'm a virgin."

He froze, spoon in mid-air, eyes wide like he couldn't believe he had actually said that out loud.

"I mean—" He scrambled to fix it, waving his hands a little as color rushed to his cheeks. "I don't—I mean, it's not like—I'm not, like, waiting for marriage or anything super deep, I just...I dunno! It just never really happened! I don't... it never happened 'cuz I don't... connect... like that... easily."

His mouth hung open for a beat longer, then he slowly lowered his spoon to the cup, staring at it like it had betrayed him.

"...Wow," Bobby muttered, voice faint, glancing sideways at Hayden. "So, uh... that's a thing you know now. Merry Christmas?"

Hayden had swirled some melted blueberry ice cream in bowl from the table and was putting a straw in so she could drink it like a milkshake. Bobby had mentioned his reputation, which had been a topic of conversation, and how he knew what everyone said. Hayden was about to comment on letting people get to know him when he dropped a bomb.

She stopped stirring, blushed, and looked over at Bobby as he tried to recover. Hayden just knew her mouth was hanging open in surprise. So she made a conscious effort to close it while he finished. Unsure of really what to say, she began, "The second time my powers showed up, I put a boy from school in the hospital. For a while. I thought he was going to die and I'd go to jail or something."

She unwrapped another straw and put it in the other side of the bowl before sliding it between them. "And it's okay, so am I, a virgin," she said, cheeks turning rosy with sudden warmth. "Now that it's out of the way, let's share some melted blueberry ice cream. Oh, now you know two things about me that no one else knows. Happy New Year, Slippy," she said with a smile as she began to drink the melted ice cream.

This was the weirdest conversation he could've ever imagined. Favorite ice cream flavors to sexual inexperience and back to slurping. Bobby blinked in disbelief.

It's not that he expected Hayden to laugh or start mocking him. That kind of person wouldn't have appealed to him in the first place. What gave him pause was how she didn't cringe or flinch or think twice, other than to once again commiserate. Bobby couldn't remember the last time he's had a conversation where the other person wasn't shaking their head at him.

"I can't go home," Bobby said as he pulled up the straw to his lips, preparing to hide after he added, "because I accidentally killed my dad with my powers."

He shoved the the straw between his lips and sucked like a bee on a flower stamen, his eyes glued to the tabletop and his chin quivering in shame. The virgin thing was by far an easier admission. What was he doing out here?

Hayden didn’t flinch. She didn’t look away or shift uncomfortably. Instead, she let the weight of Bobby’s words settle between them, holding them with quiet steadiness. She recognized the weight of his confession; staring at the table and a quivering chin. "That’s a lot to carry," she said softly, her voice free of judgment, only empathy. “I’m sorry, Bobby.”

She didn’t say it like she pitied him, but like she truly saw him, like she knew what it was to live with something that couldn’t be undone. She let a few beats of silence pass, giving him room to breathe or to hide behind his straw if that’s what he needed. Then, gently, she added, "You don’t have to do this alone. You know that, right? There's plenty of people around you that I'm sure would help. Plus...I'm here. Now."

There was no pressure, no expectation, just an open door. A quiet reassurance that, no matter how lost he felt, he wasn’t beyond help. And that sitting here, sharing melted ice cream and painful truths, he wasn’t all that alone. Sometimes the only thing a person needed was just someone to sit with them and let them know they were there.

Bobby's hand came up fast to swipe at his eyes, but not fast enough to hide the way they glistened in the soft light of the parlor. His other hand gripped the plastic spoon like a lifeline, his knuckles pale from the tension.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled thickly, still not looking at her, his voice cracking at the edges. "You don't need to deal with this. I—I know this isn't what you signed up for." He let out a shaky laugh that didn’t carry any real humor. "Guess I'm just great at ruining a good thing, huh?"

He turned away slightly, shoulders tight, his whole body rigid with the effort of holding it in. His breath shuddered out unevenly, like he was fighting back a flood and barely keeping it behind a dam.

"I didn't mean to... I didn't mean to dump all that on you. You just wanted ice cream and a laugh, not some... sloppy mess killing the mood." His throat bobbed hard as he swallowed, wiping at his eyes again but missing a tear that slipped free and tracked down his cheek.

With a subtle wave of her finger, Hayden made the stray tear vanish into mist. “Hey,” she said softly, her voice steady but warm. “You’re not ruining anything.” She waited a few seconds, letting the words sink in. “And if we're going to be official, that means taking the good with the bad, the ice cream and laughs with the confessions and breakdowns. I didn’t ‘sign up’ for some perfect, polished version of Bobby Drake."

Her gaze stayed on him, unwavering, giving him the time to look at her if he wanted to, but not demanding it.

“Ice cream and laughs are great, yeah. But so is just being here; messy feelings, bad days, all of it." Then, gentler, she added, “You don’t have to hold it all in, Bobby. Not with me.”

Hayden got up and slid into the booth next to Bobby, momentarily resisting the urge to lay her head on his shoulder as a comforting gesture. And if he still turned away, still needed to fight the flood, she’d stay right there beside him, waiting.

For a long moment, Bobby just sat there, silent, barely breathing. His body was still tense, shoulders curled inward like he was trying to make himself smaller, like he was bracing for something—rejection, maybe, or just the weight of everything pressing down all at once.

But Hayden hadn't moved away. She held her ground. And so Bobby risked a glance at her—just a peek at first, cautious and unsure—but when she didn’t flinch, didn’t look at him like he was something fragile or broken, his gaze lingered. Sideways at first, then full-on.

The longer she held eye contact, the stronger his became, like a quiet game of emotional chicken where neither of them was backing down. Then, like something inside of him just finally gave in, Bobby felt the space closing between them. Before he knew what was happening, his lips were pressing against hers in a desperate, searching kiss.

Tears hadn’t stopped. The salt of them mixed into the kiss, but he didn't care. He barely even realized he was mumbling breathless apologies whispered against her lips. Kiss. "I'm sorry, I—" Kiss. "I didn't mean—" Kiss. "I just—"

She had actually been kissed! And kissed, and kissed... Hayden interrupted Bobby's words and kisses by placing her index finger on his lips. "Easy, Tiger," she whispered. "You don't want to spend it all at once. Spread it out over time." She winked and then kissed him back before sitting backwards. "Pretty cool, though," she said and then nudged him with her elbow.

"Ya don't have to apologize, ya know?" She picked up one of the napkins and started wiping the tears from his face. “So… was that your way of telling me you like me, or should I be expecting a skywriter next?”

For a moment, Bobby just sat there, blinking rapidly, trying to process what had just happened. His breath came a little fast, his heart hammering like he'd just skated full-speed into the boards. He'd done it. He'd just kissed Hayden. Not once, but a bunch of times. And she hadn't freaked out or shoved him away—she'd kissed him back. And now she was sitting there, nudging him with her elbow, joking, wiping his tears like it was nothing.

It hit him all at once, overwhelming in a way that nearly sent him into a full-blown panic attack. His usual defense mechanism—deflection, humor, dodging—was useless now. She wasn't pushing him away. She wasn't disgusted. She wasn't treating him like some kind of broken thing. She was just… accepting it. Accepting him.

A breathless, disbelieving laugh bubbled out of him. He wiped his eyes on his sleeve, shaking his head at himself. "Holy crap," he exhaled. "I can't believe I just did that."

He glanced sideways at her, still dazed but softening at her teasing. "No skywriters, no fireworks... just me, in full emotional-disaster mode, apparently." He let out another laugh, this one a little steadier. "I, uh... I liked you before just because, y'know, we had chemistry. I thought you were cool, funny, fun to be around. But now..."

He trailed off, laughing again as he scrubbed a hand through his hair, making it messier than before. "Now I like you enough to drop the flirting and actually be real. And I'm glad I did because—" He paused, shaking his head, his grin crooked and self-deprecating. "Because, apparently, I'm the kind of guy who word-vomits his entire life story before realizing oh yeah, this might be a thing."

He turned toward her a little more, still looking a little wrecked but recovering fast. "But... if you wanna start over again, like, pretend I didn't just ugly cry on you while making out in a booth... I'm game.” His smirk flickered back into place, but there was hopeful confidence behind it this time. "Your call, Frosty."

"Oh I'm game, Slippy," said Hayden, a twinkle in her eye. Though she knew she wasn't likely to forget anything about tonight. "Might just give me a chance to play hard-to-get now. See just how good the real Bobby Drake is." Then she laughed a little. "Or not. You just never know," she said in a playful, ominous voice, dragging out the word 'know.'

“Now, are we gonna sit here being all starry-eyed, or do you want to refreeze what's left of the ice cream? Kissing a guy through his emotional-disaster mode works up an appetite." Her smirk had once again returned as she kept her gaze on him.

That made Bobby grin. He was about to respond when the guy behind the counter cleared his throat. "Hey, lovebirds, hate to break up the moment, but we’re closing up. You want that to go?"

Bobby blinked, suddenly aware of how empty the shop had become. "Oh, man, I totally lost track of time." His cheeks flushed a little as he ran a hand through his hair. "Uh, yeah, sure—can we get a to-go carton?"

The clerk grabbed a container and started scooping the refrozen, half-eaten ice cream into it.

Glancing at Hayden with a smirk, Bobby mused, "Guess we got a little... distracted... by the best date I ever had."

Hayden giggled. "Oh, smooth. Real smooth." But there was no hiding the way her smirk softened into something more genuine. She watched as the clerk unceremoniously shoveled the remaining ice cream into a carton.

Hayden then wrinkled her face as if she were thinking hard about something. "Best date ever, huh?" She tapped a finger against her chin. "I don't know whether I should feel honored or deeply concerned." She elbowed Bobby again in joking manner, barely able to keep in another giggle. "But for real, I'd say it was a pretty great date, too."

"Now come on, Slippy, before they decide to lock us in here," she said with grin. "I'd rather not spend the night in an ice cream parlor...as tempting as that may be."

"Good point." Bobby turned back to the counter. "Hey, man, can you call a cab for us?"

The clerk, already wiping down the countertop, grunted. "Yeah, yeah, give me a sec." He reached for the phone.

Bobby turned back to Hayden with an easy shrug. "Figured it's too dark and chilly to take the scenic route back. Plus, we can eat in the cab." He held up the to-go carton like a prize. "Priorities."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea,"Hayden answered. She knew the cold wouldn't bother Bobby anyway. But she on the other hand, would freeze her little nose off. "And of course priorities!"

For a second, they just stood there, the quiet hum of closing-time cleanup filling the space while they waited for the taxi. Then Bobby rocked back on his heels, glancing at her almost sheepishly.

"So, uh..." He scratched the back of his head. "When you said it was a great date, did you really mean that, or were you just being nice?" Though light and teasing, there was a subtle vulnerability underneath the question. His fingers tightened slightly around the carton, bracing himself for her answer.

Hayden tilted her head, quickly looking at the ground before back up to Bobby. "I really did mean it." A small, genuine smile played at her lips. "Though, I don't have a lot of dates to compare it to. Especially not since the mutation. So… yeah, it was a great date."

Then, with a playful smirk, she punched him on the shoulder and added, "And if you ever doubt my sincerety again, I will dunk you in a fountain. Just so we’re clear."

"Noted," Bobby chuckled, rubbing his sThe taxi honked from outside, breaking the moment. Bobby shot Hayden a grin before nodding toward the door. "C’mon, Frosty. Time to get you home before you turn into an actual icicle."

He stepped ahead to open the backseat door, giving an exaggerated bow. "After you."

As she slid into the cab, Hayden's lateral motion made it all too easy for Bobby’s gaze to linger on the cut and curve of her pants only to catch the cabbie's knowing grin in the rearview mirror. Bobby scowled and climbed in, slamming the door just a little too hard.

"Graymalkin Lane," he muttered to the driver, who nodded and pulled into the quiet streets of Salem Center.

The soft rumble of the cab filled the silence as Bobby flipped open the carton, scooping up a bite of ice cream. He let the chill melt on his tongue for a second before glancing at Hayden, a curious glint in his eye as he offered her some.

"So," he started casually, but there was real interest beneath it, "earlier you said you didn't have a lot of dates after your... gift appeared. And I get that... things change." He twirled the spoon in his fingers, keeping his voice light but careful. There was no reason to just advertise their mutant status, even to a seemingly kind-natured taxi driver. "But was it really all bad? I mean, sure, it must've been a shock, but... what was it like when you first realized what you could do?"

He wasn't trying to pry—well, maybe a little—but mostly, he was curious. Hayden had taken everything in stride tonight, but Bobby knew better than most what it felt like to have your world rewritten overnight. If she wanted to talk about it, he wanted to listen.

Hayden exhaled softly, her fingers idly tracing patterns on the side of the ice cream carton. "I was scared at first," she said demurely. She had tried not to think back to that time, and others like it, too often. Lock it all up in a box and move on had been her mode of coping. Until now.

"It was swim class and some of the others were already making fun of me. 'Look! The lanky scarecrow's gonna swim! Don't get your straw wet!' High school bullies are brutal." She paused a minute and turned to look out the window, eyes reddening. "Then it happened. The second time was the next week at the water fountain. That's when I put the bully in the hospital. I didn't mean to...it just...." She trailed off and sniffled a few times.

Still looking out the window, she wiped a few tears from her eyes. She had completely opened up to someone who had done the same with her. "One day, I’m just me...regular, predictable Hayden. The next, upside down. Not exactly the kind of thing that makes high school easier, y'know?"

She turned back to face Bobby, red eyes, tear streaks and all. "I was thinking about running away and was pretty close to doing so. But my parents caught me and I thought I was in all kinds of trouble. But they said that they wouldn't give up on me and that I didn't have to face my struggles in life alone. They were just as confused as I was." She wiped a few more tears from her face. "I know not everyone has that kind of story, so I try not to bring it up. But I did learn something important, friendship and loyalty. Nobody should have to go through those struggles alone."

She stared at Bobby a few seconds before taking a generous bite of ice cream.

Bobby listened without interrupting, his usual banter stripped away as Hayden opened up. His expression softened with every word—her pain, her confusion, the cruel things kids had said, the raw honesty of nearly running away. And the part about her parents... that hit hardest of all.

When she finally turned back to him, tear-streaked and brave, Bobby’s heart squeezed tight in his chest. He let the silence stretch just long enough to honor the weight of her story before speaking, his voice low and sincere.

"Your parents sound like amazing people," he said quietly, a real smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "The kind you want in your corner, no matter what." He paused, gaze flicking from her face to the window and back again. "And from what I can tell... their daughter didn't fall far from that tree."

His boyish grin returned, a touch crooked but full of admiration. "Seriously. That was a cool story, Hayden. Beautiful, even. And you shouldn't be afraid to share it. Not with me. Not with anyone who's lucky enough to get to know you."

Hayden blinked, her breath catching slightly at Bobby’s words. She hadn’t expected him to say something so... real. Not just the easy kind of comfort, but something that actually saw her.

"Thanks, Bobby," she said, sniffling a little more and wiping the last of her tears. "For all of it." She dried her eyes as best she could and smiled at him. "It was sweet of you to say." This time, Hayden gave in and leaned over, putting her head on Bobby's shoulder for a minute. "You know, for a guy whose whole thing is cold ice cream, you’re really good at the whole warm and charming thing."

Bobby ducked his head at Hayden's compliment, his boyish grin turning more bashful. "Charming, huh? You really think that?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish chuckle. "Maybe I'm just managing not to completely put my foot in my mouth for once."

"Well if that's the case, then your doing a fine job," she said, smiling. "You have to start somewhere, I guess. And it might as well be now." Hayden raised her head and stared at Bobby. She was quieter than she'd been all night.

The way she looked at him—really looked—made his breath catch. It meant he couldn't dodge her eyes for long. His gaze returned to hers slowly, as if drawn by gravity or an even greater force of attraction. Their eyes locked, and suddenly the cab felt too quiet, the world too still. Their faces inched closer, subtle and slow, seemingly like time itself had dialed down to let them both decide if this was the moment.

Just as their noses brushed and lips hovered within a breath of each other's, the taxi jolted to a stop. Outside the window, the yawning X-Mansion was visible on the other side of the wrought-iron gates.

The cabbie cleared his throat and tapped the meter. "Seven bucks," he announced flatly.

Bobby groaned and slumped back into his seat for a beat. "Timing, man," he muttered with a dry smile. Pulling out his wallet, he handed the driver a ten dollar bill. "Keep the change."

Then, pushing open the door, Bobby stepped out into the chill of the driveway. He turned, held the door for Hayden with a crooked, apologetic smile, and extended a hand to help her out.

"C'mon, Frosty," he said softly. "Let’s get you home."

Hayden took Bobby's hand and slid out of the cab, stepping out of the way enough for the door to shut. She smiled at him and continued holding his hand while she watched the cab drive off. "Walk a girl up to the door?" she asked. "Unless of course you're afraid of getting caught by someone," she added in a teasing tone. "Because I'm not."

Bobby's grin widened at her tease, a flicker of that familiar cockiness slipping through. "Afraid of getting caught?" he scoffed lightly. "Please. I’ve been sneaking in and out of this place longer than some of the littlest kids here have been alive. Me and Warren used to call that—" He pointed upward to the glass-paneled dome above the east wing. "—the Roost. Best lookout point for every escape plan we ever cooked up. Never failed. Well, except that one time with Alex and Lorna, but that's a story for another night."

Despite the smooth delivery, the flutter in his chest hadn't gone anywhere. If anything, it was getting worse with every step closer to the door.

They reached the portico, snow crunching underfoot, warm light spilling from the nearby windows. Bobby turned to Hayden, the smile on his lips gentler now, more earnest. He looked into her eyes, searching, and found something there—something steady. His fingers gave hers the lightest squeeze.

"When can I see you again?" he asked, quiet but sure. The teasing was gone. No act. Just Bobby, standing in the cold, hoping she'd say soon.

She squeezed his hand in return, a small, hopeful smile tugging at her lips. "You'll have to take me up there some evening, to the Roost. I bet the sunset on the snowy horizon looks pretty from up there." Her heart felt as if it had skipped a beat as she met his gaze, the world around them fading into the background. This moment, this fleeting sliver of time, was real.

Hayden hesitated only a second before continuing, her voice steady but with quiet anticipation. "Well, I'd bet you guys at X-Factor probably have some kind of plans to show up here on Christmas for food and presents and stuff," she mused. "So I’ll probably see you then. But... as for a date...." She let the words hang between them, her grip on his hand tightening ever so slightly. "I hope sooner than Christmas."

She hadn’t looked away, her expectant gaze searching his, waiting for an answer.

Bobby's brow arched in delighted surprise, his whole face lighting up like someone had flipped a switch inside him. He bounced once on the balls of his feet, his joy barely containable. "Oh man,” he exhaled, grinning. "I mean, cool. Yeah. Coolcoolcool."

Then came the oversharing.

"I actually just came out here to drop off a thing for the Professor. And Kennedy, technically. I wasn’t even planning to stick around this long, but..." He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. "If I hadn’t, I probably wouldn’t have had the guts...or the chance...to find... whatever this is. But I could always... come... back..."

He caught himself, his eyes going wide for a split second as if his brain finally caught up to his mouth. He bit his lip, winced, and gave a sheepish laugh. "Wow. Okay. That sounded way smoother in my head. Sorry. I babble when I’m happy."

His gaze steadied on hers again, this time more composed, and he gently nudged her knuckles with his thumb.

"Have you ever seen Christmas in the city?" he asked, voice soft and warm. "I mean, like really seen it? The lights, the window displays, Times Square? I'd love to show you." A pause. "Soon. Like... whenever."

Hayden watched Bobby’s flustered excitement with a growing smile as he spiraled into his signature over-explaining. It was cute, his lack of pretense and the way his emotions spilled out before he could stop them. And the fact that he caught himself mid-babble only made it sweeter.

When he asked about Christmas in the City, she tilted her head slightly, her expression thoughtful. "I mean, I’ve seen it, you know, like on TV and stuff," she admitted. "But probably not the way you're describing it "

She let the pause linger for just a second before her smirk returned, softer this time. "So, Slippy, are you asking me on a second date before we’ve even wrapped up the first?" Her eyes sparkled with mischief, but there was genuine warmth behind them.

Then, after a moment, she gave his hand a squeeze. "Because if you are…yeah. I’d like that. I'd like it a lot. Maybe this weekend? Saturday night?"

Bobby let out a laugh—too loud, too quick—startling himself before immediately covering his mouth with the back of his hand. "Yeah... yeah, I guess I am asking you out again," he said, grinning ear to ear. He squeezed her hand back, full of jittery excitement he wasn't even trying to hide.

"Saturday night sounds great. I'll pick you up. In a car. Not, like, an icicle slide or anything," he added with a wink. Then, true to form, the babble kicked in. "We've got this rental thing through X-Factor, a kinda' fleet rotation from this corporate contract. It's super chill. I usually get first pick 'cause Scott and Jean always use their Jeep, Warren's got that ridiculous Lamborghini, and Pietro just, you know, runs his ass off..."

He paused, blinked, then winced slightly. "And I’m rambling again. Sorry. It's... a thing."

His smile turned bashful, gaze flickering to the mansion’s big oak doors, then back to Hayden. For a beat, he swayed slightly on his feet like he couldn’t decide whether to step forward or retreat.

Then he leaned in a little. Then back. Then in again. Hesitating, hovering, a breath away from her lips.

Finally his voice dropped, hopeful and a little breathless. "Would... would this be a good time to kiss you goodnight? Or, uh... am I ruining my shot at another date?"

Hayden watched him with his barely contained excitement. She smiled at the energy radiating off him, like he physically couldn’t contain how much he was feeling. And when he started rocking on his feet, hesitating, leaning in, then back, then in again….

She leaned in close. "Well…I think it'd be a fine time," she whispered. "Couldn't hurt your chances, either."

Bobby didn't need another invitation. The second Hayden whispered those words, his breath hitched and the world narrowed to just the two of them beneath the soft glow of the outdoor Christmas lights.

No overthinking this time. No second-guessing. Just instinct and courage.

He stepped in and kissed her, really kissed her, with all the boldness he usually reserved for a hot take or some stunt—except now, it wasn’t a performance. It was real. It was him. No walls. No angles. Just a vulnerable offering of himself.

Their lips met his like they knew the exact shape of one another before they ever touched. And suddenly, Bobby understood what all those tired romantic clichés meant—because he felt all of them. That fluttering in his chest wasn't nerves anymore; it was an emotional uplift, altitude, the rush of rising somewhere higher. Safer. Right.

He cupped her jaw with both hands, tender but sure, the chill of his fingers melting against the warmth of her skin. His heart raced, and as the kiss deepened, widened, breath and heat mingling between them, Bobby could’ve sworn his chest cracked open with something new.

Not yearning. Not lust. Not a fleeting comfort. A belonging.

She liked him, not just the cool guy with powers and jokes. And for once in his life, Bobby didn't have to hustle to earn it or guess if he measured up. He didn't have to be Warren-light or Scott-steady or anyone but himself. And she kissed him anyway. Bobby felt no need from Hayden to overlook anything about him, like it felt everyone had to do, because she liked what she saw.

When they finally parted—just a fraction, his thumbs still brushing her cheeks—Bobby let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding by the end.

"…Whoa," he murmured, eyes still locked on hers, his voice low with reverent awe. "Okay. Now that was a goodnight kiss." And for once, he had nothing more to say.

Hayden's breath was just a little unsteady when they finally pulled apart, her lips still tingling from the kiss. It was the kind that left an imprint, not just on her mouth but somewhere deeper. Somewhere she hadn't expected.

"Yeah," she said, eyes shining. "That was definitely worth a second date. Wow." She smiled at him and put the palm of her free hand on the side of his face. "See you Saturday, Bobby." She took her hand off and a few reluctant steps backwards. This was really happening. To her. And she couldn't believe it.

"Yeah..." Bobby nodded far too many times than was slick, but he couldn't help himself. "Saturday."

She turned around and walked up to the mansion's big oak doors, still feeling the warmth of the moment wrapped around her. With her hand on the doorknob, she hesitated and glanced back one last time to see if Bobby was still there. Hayden smiled at him, warm, radiant, and real. Her eyes were still shining and her heart soaring.

END

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