X-Men: First Class Fanfiction: Violet Phantom

Chapter Nine

•

Everyone had whined down for the night. The house was quiet as Aella sat up in her bed. She had gone to bed early because the anxiety of the unknown of tomorrow was eating her up. Looking to her door she wished someone would come see her. Maybe Charles would sense her fear and come comfort her. Raven might come by and have a chat about something, anything. Or maybe Erik. Erik was unusual company for Aella, he was either hot or cold, which gave her the impression of a snake.

But no one ever came to her door. Instead she sat on her bed, chewing her nails trying to calm herself. Nothing seemed to work. She even tried some of the coping strategies Charles had taught her, but it didn't work. Tapping her feet on her mattress she looked to the door again. Leaning over, she reached the lamp on the nightstand and turned it on. The darkness was suffocating her, she needed the light. Standing up from her bed, she paced back and forth, chewing the inside of her cheeks.

Stopping in the middle of her room, she turned to the door and took the steps to open it. Looking out into the long hallway, she heard nothing and no one. Feeling anxious, she let her feet carry her down the hall and down the stairs. Her bare feet padding on the old wood, making her feet cold. Putting her arms around herself, as the mansion was cold at night, and wearing only a tank top and shorts, made her shiver in the dark. Once in the main area, by the entrance, she turned her head to the right, the door to the study was cracked open just a little. With the glow of the fireplace lighting her way, she walked towards the warmth of the study.

Opening the door more, she saw the fire crack with life, nothing else but the fire was lighting the room. Turned to his side, Charles sat in an arm chair in front of the fire. His hand over his mouth, exhaustion painted his face. Aella didn't make a noise, but she felt Charles should be left alone. Turning away from the fire, she was about to walk back to the hall when she heard Charles speak.

"Can't sleep?" He asked, making her stop in the doorway of the study. Aella turned back and saw that Charles had turned to face her. She didn't answer, she just looked at him for a moment. Charles nodded his head to the side, motioning her to come in.

Aella hesitated, but she slowly led herself into the study. Books were on shelves, dusty from not being touched. A chess board was next to Charles, pieces moved and taken off, someone had played a game recently. Aella sat in the chair in front of Charles, as he continued to look into the fire. She felt her body warm up when she sat in front of the flames, no longer feeling so cold.

"Charles." Aella said watching the fire.

"Hm." Charles said looking towards her.

Aella sighed, "When you read people's minds, can-" she stopped. She didn't know how to word it, because she didn't know what it was. Charles leaned forward in his seat, putting his elbows on his knees, hunching towards her. "can you feel a connection?"

"In what capacity? I can see through their eyes, feel what their feeling." He said, "why do you ask?" Charles asked squinting to her.

Aella opened her mouth, quickly closed it because she didn't know how to explain it. "When Shaw attacked the complex, and you and Erik came back-" she looked up shyly to him. "You were talking with Raven and I... I felt something... with Erik."

Charles looked at her for a moment. "With Erik? Like attraction?"

Aella shook her head, "No, not like that." She said kinda grossed out, shaking her head again she sighed. "Like, I could feel this emotions, what he was feeling."