The moment he enfolded her the way he did, she took a shuddering breath. She closed her eyes and found herself leaning into the embrace. Her head dropped to his chest, and she sighed the sigh of comfort. That was it, she thought.. Maybe that is what she needed... Simply a hug. When he stepped back, she leaned toward him and then rocked back, saline streaming down her face without her being aware until the breeze touched her wet skin.

Her throat was too thick feeling for her to give a proper reply. A myriad of different emotions seemed to trace across the honey skin of her facer. She only nodded in response to all of his words, including the last thing. She let him puck up the basket, she shouldered Stella, the guitar, and then led the way to her house.

The walk was pretty quiet because she was trying to control herself. It was also somewhat long, but it was worth taking in the city between the park and the house. The sun climbed higher in the sky and white fluffy clouds drifted lazily with the gentle breeze. The sound of laughter, of traffic, of cussing, of various city sounds provided a sound track to the trek.

She eventually came to the stone pavers that marched up the lush lawn of the old, Victorian house. The house stood, four storeys high, siding painted a soft blue color, trim painted white, and the fish scale shingles dark against the blue sky. Rose bushes, lilac bushes, and spring flowers rested happily in the small space the yard afforded. She unlocked the red door and led him into the grand looking, open concept entry way that one could see into the marbled kitchen with the stainless steel appliances and copper cookware, with the foyer floor gleaming in restored glory. The center of attention would be the fully restored, antique, grand piano, situated in front of the double staircase.

One could see how much care went into furnishings, for it wasn't the cold, impersonal crap that one would see in the lifts of Manhattan, but the warm, country feel with hand made quilts and afghans, comfortable looking couches and those big, wicker bowls with the cushions inside.

She moved to the nearest closet and gently rested Stella inside, before turning to look at him. She did not ask what he thought, she was not flaunting her small wealth but trying to ensure the place was welcoming. "T'is was t'e place I hide in when I had no home. I buy from t'e bank, I fix it. I sleep in attic t'en and now, it survive bullets, it survive bad men. I fix it because it spoke to me. T'ey were going to tear it down but I would not let t'em. It even survive t'e fire of t'e church t'at used to be behind. I buy t'at too so I could rebuild it too as a place of rest for weary. I only turn someone away if t'ey use powers for bad."

She moved over to the old piano and touched an ivory key with loving touch, "T'is is heart of t'is house. I find it here too, broken. Just like me." The last part came out very soft.

"You stay today? Just for a while. Please?"

Geo hadn't gotten the full gauge of Xavia's stardom until she had turned onto the stone pathway leading up to the house. As she walked up Geo stood on the sidewalk looking up at the big building. A house? In New York? Thinking back on his decade in the bustling city he had no memories of stepping foot in an actual house. X-mansion didn't count in his mind, it was basically a fancy smancy prep school for kids who doubled as nukes.

He promptly followed the through the large red door as she unlocked it. The inside was even more fascinating than the exterior. Homey if ever he saw anything that was. But the story that accompanied the building was what was truly fascinating. In her lowest she had found refuge here and now she had turned it into a refuge for others. And with some defensive upgrades from the sound of it.

"Well you did a beautiful job at restoring the house to reflect that heart. Marvelously done." His voice echoed slightly in the large building as he walked over to the couch closest to the piano where Xavia lingered. He carefully tested the furniture against his weight before giving it his full weight. The seat creaked in protest to his compact frame.

"I can certainly stay for tonight if you'd like." A peculiar situation but Geo wouldn't mind testing the waters. Xavia seemed like a emphatic nurturing soul. She could be a massive asset to mutants in need should Geo come across any 'which he always did'

She moved to the same couch, sat down and then said, "Tonight?" She did not want to assume his meaning but rather mulled over it herself, "Okay." And then she did something she would probably not do normally... She moved closer, settled against him, and then for the first time in what felt like years, she relaxed in the presence of a male. It was nothing suggestive, she wasn't expecting certain things, nor displaying any kind of desire just beyond the simple contact.

Her head moved to rest on his shoulder after a moment of hesitation, and then she closed her eyes and just rested there unless he stopped her from doing so. Her lower lip is sucked into her mouth and bit, she shuddered slightly and took in a few, ragged breaths, before just giving in and whispering, "I will move if you say but do not want to. You holding me even just for moment... I did not know I need it so much." The words were laced with stark honesty.

If he let her, she would take his hands and guide them so his arms were around her. And then she would simply rest like that. She didn't ask for more, she didn't make any moves, she didn't expect him to do any hanky panky but decided she would welcome it, should it happen. But God, it felt good just to feel safe even though he would leave eventually.

It was a peculiar situation to say the very least. Geo would normally be in a whole other state of mind. Invited to stay in the home of a beautiful woman for the night? But this was different. Jupiter was family and that was a whole other ballpark. As she sat down and sidled up to Geo on the couch he had a sense of anxiousness to him. It only worsened as she came to physical contact with him. He took a deep breath and remembered. This was a woman in pain. A mutant with a tortured past to whom affection outside of a superficial fan base was probably scare.

Reaching up Geo wrapped an arm around the woman, comfortingly bringing her close to him. Twisting slightly he brought his other arm around to hook his hands across her shoulder.

"There's nothing wrong with needing contact with another person. That's they way the world works. People interacting with one another and exchanging that connection." He rubbed his sandy hand along her arm reassuringly as he gave her a slight squeeze. The scent of roses was strong, though not intrusive. Geo had always been a fan of the fragrance, he wondered if it was her perfume or some link to her mutant anatomy. Perhaps both?

She closed her eyes, not knowing why she took such comfort in the man. She barely knew him, but the pull was... Natural. Guilt would normally eat at her... But whatever there was with Jupiter was now just a distant memory, and she didn't want to hurt over it anymore. She pulled back slightly to look at him, her eyes slightly wet with unshed saline.

A myriad of conflicting emotions crossed her face, and she let out a tortured sound that was pretty much a whimper, then she buried her forehead into the side of his neck. Her fingers curled against his chest, her breathing coming in desperate sounding drags.

Her head lifted again, she searched his eyes now, hers were pleading, begging... For what? This situation... It certainly wasn't something she would normally let happen, but the reality sank it's claws into her and she whispered, "I cannot wait for him. It hurts." The honesty was raw. There were words underlying that simple statement: even if Jupiter came back, it would never amount to anything but hurts of the past. Xavia closed the door that had been left open for far too long.

The breaking point had been reached. "No strings," she whispered. "Please... I need..." She did not finish that. Unless he was blind, deaf, and dumb, he would probably know exactly what she was asking for...

There was no denying the raw attraction between the two. That much was clear. The warm body pressed against his was comforting. As she burrowed into him Geo was waiting for her to start branching off roots into his sandy skin. It wasn't the first time there had been that he had felt the draw from another elemental. Recollections of Arie came to his head. He had almost forgotten the water elemental he had dated for a brief while. It was the same with Wildfire. Such raw abilities fed on the most rawest forces of all in their hosts: their emotions.

She didn't seem content with just cuddling. She writhed in his arms, face burrowing into his neck before looking up an into his eyes. Geo looked deep into her caramel colored orbs as she pleaded. Begging for the affections that she craved so bad. In the moment Geo allowed himself to succum to the base desire. Pulling his hand up into her deep red hair he closed his eyes and brought his lips to meet hers. Her lips were soft, moist. The connection sent endorphins flowing into his system as he ran his lips across hers.

Though after a moment something else stirred up in the elemental. Regret. Here she was before him, a woman in obvious pain and emotional regret. Years ago her saying there were 'no strings' would have been all he needed to hear. But he was a different person now. There wasn't a connection he felt outside of his baser power enduced ones. Lurching his way out from underneath her Geo launched himself to his feet, moving slightly away to put distance between himself and the beautiful woman coming on to him.

"I'm sorry. This is especially weird for me to say but it ain't right." He apologized to the woman, clearly caught up in a conflict of his own. "That's not the way I am. Not any more." He had spent years as a womanizer. Not caring about the women who's lives he danced in and out of. But he was working on that, improving himself as a person. This wasn't who he wanted to be anymore.

As his mouth met hers, the kiss she gave back was hungry, and quite passionate. Every ounce he gave, she returned equally. As his hand found her hair, she could tell he was into her as much as she was into him. But she knew confusion when he wrenched away. She was left a quivering mess, panting, lips swollen and tender. She drew a heavy breath in, trying to regain control of her senses. "I do not understand. I offer no strings so you... Oh... You want..."

She covered her face with her hand and sighed heavily. She shook her head and then continued, "I want t'at too butI t'ought me saying so would chase you." That was honest. She looked up at him,cheeks flushed, but she was still filled with desire. She needed a cold shower. Her eyes were on his face, watching now, still pleading, but she would not jump on him for it. She already did that.

Xavia then stood up and moved to the grand hall, fingers splayed over her mouth. Oh god... She paced a few times before moving back to him standing in front of him so close he could feel her breath, and looked up at his face. "What do you want?"

He knew it would be a bit of a shock. Her confusion was nothing short of what he'd expect with his reaction. Why would any sane person halt the advances of a woman so beautiful. But it wasn't right. It reminded Geo of too many mistakes he had made in the past.

"It ain't about no strings Xavia." The elemental's thick voice spoke softly yet. Tucking his hands into his pockets he stood his ground as the shorter mutant walked up to him. The scent of roses magnifying with her proximity. "I don't know you. You don't know me. I crashed your picnic an hour ago and now..." He trailed off, his hand gesturing to the couch they had just been entangled on. Geo tried to avoid looking into her saddened face. He knew his own weaknesses enough to know that would be a much harder battle.

"You're obviously upset. Dealing with a lot. I get that. Life's a terrible hard mess that we all stumble through just trying to find ground to stand on. I don't want to be the arms you run into because you're all torn up inside." His features carried a soft compassion as he searched for the words to make his point clear. "How do you know your roots aren't just looking fir some soil to grab onto." The point was literal and symbolic all at once. Mutations made things weird like that but having the chaos of elements and nature at your fingertips messed with ones psych.

Her eyes closed a moment, and then she said, "Geo... I know we do not know each ot'er but for a short... Very short time... But I have never felt so strong. You feel it too. I felt it. T'at was not superficial. I do not kiss just anyone and certainly do not ever do... T'is." She gestured between them. "You want me as much as I want you," her voice was soft by then.

And then she took a step closer and searched his eyes again, "What do you want? Do you want more? I feel stronger t'an I should, admittedly, but do you understand I have stayed away from...t'is for almost five years. If I wanted to sink my roots in, I would have sought t'is out much sooner. So you tell me..."

By that point, she was looking up at him, head craned back, eyes serious. "What do you want?"

Geo blinked down at Xavia. Heaving a large sigh as the woman seemed to plead with him. Fighting with some unspoken relationship that apparently he had missed the memo about. Gesturing between himself and the woman he spoke. A heavier tone reaching his thick voice. Emphasizing his seriousness.

"This isn't a thing. You don't know me from Adam." As she took a step forward he backed away, turning slightly to cut off the body language between the two. "You say we have some sort of connection but we don't. Outside of what? Baser instincts? You're a plant. I'm dirt. That's just science." If he had known her more than an hour then maybe it would be something different. But the last time he had been approached by a female elemental in such a manor it wasn't what he had thought.

"We literally just met. You tell me you're the mother to the daughter of one of my best friends! Then I walk you home, you beg me to stay and then..." He gestured at the couch once more. On her relationship with the clone on it's own was enough to turn him away from the notion. "What I would like is to not be in that situation."

She felt kind of miffed that he was thinking she thought there was more than a connection. The smell of roses shifted with her mood. She clenched her teeth for a moment. "All you had to do from start is say no. You do not kiss me like you did and t'en toss me aside. Your best friend is not here, he has not been for long time! T'is is NOT about Jupiter. I am a grown woman who has desire just like everyone else. If you do not desire me, do not kiss me. Simple. I admit perhaps I get carried away but I did not kiss you, you kiss me, buddy." She was most certainly ticked off. She turned on her heel and walked away from him, pausing long enough to say, "Wish granted." And then she walked toward the front door wrenched it open and walked outside. She did not slam the door, she closed it softly, ther click barely audible.

Something wasn't right. First off, she did not tell him to leave her house, she left... Second, she was highly upset, and instead of taking it out on him, she took off. That was probably a good indication something bad was about to happen.

Indeed, it got quiet... Only a pin drop would shatter the ensuing quiet.