Molotov Heart {Alex Summers | X-Men}

1. sonder.

don't go in there you'll become one f r e a k y creature

(m o n s t e r p a r t y)

Sean Cassidy was born and raised in the Bronx, at the age of nineteen he had little more than a shoebox apartment and two minimum-wage jobs to his name, no-one thought to suspect he was anything more than a burnout. However, when he had found himself cornered in his favourite aquarium by two men calling themselves Charles and Erik after he had just successfully scared off both a school of fish, and a pretty girl. There was something unnerving about the way they slid up beside him, giving him no time to question them before they launched into their pitch.

It was simple; the C.I.A. was developing a team of people with abilities beyond that of a normal human's - the shorter of the men, Charles, called them mutants - and as much as Sean denied it, they had seen the proof for themselves, watched as the ginger used his supersonic voice to send the fish scattering. They assured Sean that he wasn't the only one, that they were mutants too, and suddenly Charles's voice filled his head without the man saying a word at all. The thought of meeting other people like him was exhilarating, and Sean agreed before he thought about it. Then there was a pause, a moment of silence as he stammered out an apology, rejecting the offer in the same breath, much to Charles and Erik's confusion.

"I can't, I'm sorry." Regret in his voice, it was clear that his heart wasn't in it. Erik raised an eyebrow at Sean's sudden and paper-thin lie.

"And why not?" Arms crossed, Erik surveyed the young mutant, who cast his gaze to the now empty fish tank and the warped view of the room beyond. Watching fish with rapt attention on the other side of the glass is a girl, with bright, inquisitive eyes. Erik wonders how he missed seeing her earlier.

"I can't leave Vell." Sean's voice is uncharacteristically soft, and the girl finally looks to him, her expression of wonder brightening into a grin as she scurries to join them. She's much younger than Erik had guessed, but looking to Charles, he doesn't seem surprised. She shares Sean's mischievous blue eyes and unruly ginger hair, and apparently his somewhat skeptical instincts as her gaze shifts from Charles to Erik, and settles on squinting suspiciously at him.

"Who is this?" Erik sees the child's challenge, mouth splitting into an unnerving grin that showed far too many teeth, that Charles had informed him on several occasions made him look like a shark. The five-year-old flinched at the sight and Erik did feel a little bit bad about that, especially as Charles silently reprimanded him.

"This is... Aoibheal, Sean's younger sister." Voice warm and kind Charles knelt to greet the girl, eyes crinkling as he smiled. The girl's expression didn't soften, but her shoulders relaxed and she analysed Charles with a surprisingly critical eye.

"I beg your pardon?" Erik wrinkled his nose in confusion, his expression just over the thoughtful side of neutral and it's Charles's warm laugh at Erik's mind trying to figure out what Charles had just said that makes the girl smile, if only a little bit.

"Eh-vell." Charles repeated slowly. "It's Gaelic." He explained, quirking an eyebrow as he cast his gaze to Erik, who was trying very hard to stifle an eye roll.

"Sean," Aoibheal's voice, while high and young, was determined and clear, the only indication of her nervousness being the pleading look she sent her brother that she had no intention of hiding, "don't go without me." She couldn't keep the notes of fear from bleeding into her voice, and Erik was suddenly fascinated by the twitching of her fingers that juxtaposed the firm set of her mouth.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Blue Blood." Sean assured. Everything about Aoibheal's previously defensive body language melted away as her brother scooped her up into his arms, letting her cling to him. "Thanks for the offer," he was certainly sincere when he told them, though half of his attention was spent on helping Aoibheal monkey her way around him to allow her to sit on his shoulders, "but I've gotta put Vell first." He admitted, turning on his heel and making for the door.