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They walked and Andrew waved off her attempt to let him release the tight hold he was keeping on his emotions. Kealey nodded her head. If anyone understood how important it was to keep a lock on your emotions sometimes…it was Kealey.

”You really shouldn’t be nervous though…” she explained, wondering what was bringing on those feelings, ”Nobody here is going to do anything that should make you nervous…unless it’s nervous in a good way.” Why was he nervous? It wasn’t like this was a try-out or anything.

Kealey tried to work out a better way to get her message across, and grinned when it happened, ”We’re the ones on an interview here Andrew. You’re deciding if you want to be a part of us, not the other way around. If you want to stay here. You can stay here.”

When they walked inside, Kealey just waited, letting Andrew take in all the things she’d told him about. Hearing the words were one thing, seeing it in all its splendor was another entirely.

She actually chuckled a little when he asked if she lived there, then Kealey nodded her head, ”Most of the time. I‘ve got an apartment in the city, but it‘s mostly storage these days. Everything I want and need is here.”

She gave the newcomer a few more moments to look around at things, then smiled, ”There’s a lot more to see, if you want.”

Amused…puzzled…tolerant…all things that Shin was feeling. Kealey knew because she was more focused on his reaction than she could remember being in a long time. She’d hit him…actually punched him in the face and he was amused and tolerant?

It made her feel even worse. More guilty tears gathered in blue eyes, threatening to spill over. Kealey took a deep breath and focused on getting the bleeding from Shin’s nose to stop. It was a bit of a mess…apparently she’d done a good job swinging.

”I didn’t mean to hit you…I was swinging for the pad and I missed. It was an accident….” she trailed off and Shin made a comment about how if she kept swinging that way she’d be fine. Kealey shook her head.

”I don’t want to be that kind of fine… she said, sniffling as her nose threatened to run if something didn‘t happen to those tears, ”I was just so angry, and the swinging felt so good. I’m sorry, I’m a mess right now…you’re not mad at me?”

Kealey nodded when Andrew said that Sam had helped him out of a jam As roving as the X-leader’s eye was…he had a good heart. He was also a pretty decent judge of character, and Kealey knew she was. Andrew was going to fit in well at the Mansion…and it seemed like he was starting to think so too.

Kealey checked the clock on her phone, ”If you have time now, the next bus leaves in ten minutes. I can show you around when we get there.”

Kelaey paused a moment, wondering if the next comment bore speaking, ”I will warn you though…coffee shops and video game stores are one thing…but a crowded city bus is another entirely. I might get a little weird.”

It was a candid admission to a partial stranger, but Kealey felt the need. Even after all the work she’d done, and all the progress she’d made…Kealey could still be nearly ruined by a crowded city bus.

As they sat and drank their coffee, Andrew opened up about his mutation. Kealey was glad he trusted her so much after a short time, when talking about things was obviously difficult. There was too little of that kind of trust these days and it was a refreshing occurrence.

As the younger man explained, Kealey nodded her head and listened, eyes widening slightly at the implications of what he said. No wonder he was scared. ”I can’t imagine what that’s like for you….I mean, I know how you feel, but that’s about it.” Kealey didn’t pry, if Andrew chose to be more forthcoming, he would be.

After she spoke, Kealey realized that her words may have sounded cryptic and she took another sip of her coffee before setting it down on the table and speaking again, ”I feel emotions. Everyone’s, all the time. I can also fiddle with them. I don’t unless I absolutely have to…but I can.”

Andrew explained about his roommate and why he was scared and wandering and Kealey frowned, ”Have you ever heard of The Mansion? It’s really a sister school to Xavier’s Institute…but it’s right here in New York City. That’s where I live, with a whole lot of people just like us.”

Kealey could tell that Andrew was baffled by her revelation and she studied him subtly as they looked through the games. As she did, Kealey decided that one of two things was true about the younger man. One, he hadn’t met many mutants. That seemed unlikely in this day and age, so that probably meant the second was true. Andrew was a mutant.

Kealey had been at the mansion long enough by this point to realize that sometimes knowing that a person was among people who were genetically similar was enough to make them an even more nervous wreck than they had been before. Sure, they were a mutant, but either they didn’t like to admit it, or they were afraid to.

Andrew spoke again, this time commenting on the games, and Kealey brightened up at the mention of a new Metroid game. She was positive she’d seen that title on the shelf in Shin’s room. ”Ooo, that would be wonderful. If it’s new than I’m almost positive he won’t have it. He’s very busy and probably won’t have had time to get it.” Kealey started looking, hoping the unlikely hope that the title was something like, “Brand New Metroid Game that Shin Doesn’t Have.”

As she looked, Kealey noticed new feelings coming off of Andrew in waves. Fear. Discomfort. Nerves. Her hand hovered over her stomach again as the feelings hit home and the blond swallowed as he made his own admission. Tentatively she reached out a hand towards his shoulder.

”Andrew?” she said, ”It’s okay…it really is. You don’t have to be anxious. Are you new to New York? Your accent sounds about as common place as mine.”

She spotted the game as she looked at her helper and snagged it off the shelf. ”Here, let me pay for this. Do you want to go somewhere and talk? There’s a great little coffee place down the street…you seem like you could use an ear.”

OOC: Joint postage! Shin parts written by Shin!

Shin was doing a lot of thinking as they talked about the end of the series and what had happened between the characters. Some of Shin’s initial fervor had calmed, though, and it seemed that Kealey’s admission that the separation of the characters bothered her had given him quite a bit to think about.

Kealey appreciated that thinking, it meant that he really was trying to see things from her point of view. Even if he didn’t totally get it, the fact of the matter would be that she knew he had tried. It meant the world and she settled her head back down onto his shoulder and focused on the warm and squishy feelings she’d gotten so used to. These were nice feelings, very warm feelings, and Kealey thought that they were probably her favorite ones in the whole world.

"... Just so you know, Kealey... I..." He started slowly, watching her reactions. Inside his chest were the warm emotions. He was serious about letting them find words.

There was also something else. Something... difficult? Not quite certain... like he was trying to settle on something. The 'I' hung for a moment, with just those two feelings, dueling.

Shin spoke, and something in his voice or the subtle change in his emotions made Kealey raise her head again, her eyes looking for his. Somehow, it was a slightly tense moment, not necessarily in a bad way, but in a way that felt like the edge of a precipice. There was uncertainty there, and Kealey tilted her head slightly, mild confusion crossing her features.

”You what?” she said softly, hoping everything was alright.

"I..." Shin paused. There was that uncertainty again. It left her hanging.

Kealey frowned slightly, so much uncertainty all of a sudden. What had happened? "Shin? You what?" she said, still softly but a little more emphatically.

Silence, again. Mental wheels were turning. Was it funny? Maybe it wasn't funny...? Ah, what the hell. He thought it would be. The words came out quickly, after he'd made his stand in the sand. "I'mmovingtoItaly...!" They exploded out of his mouth. After it was done, Shin put on his serious-face, just watching her reaction. He clasped his knees with clenched fists.

The silence was absolutely deafening and Kealey found herself getting slightly anxious at the look on Shin's face and the body language he was projecting.

Then he spoke. Kealey's jaw dropped and she let out a sort of half-strangled sound that was partway between a laugh and a frustrated growl. He couldn't be serious. There was no way...was there?

Suddenly, Kealey's slightly confused mind started putting puzzle pieces together in strange ways that possibly fit.

"You're not seriou--?" she started.

Shin cut off off with a finger placed against her lip. An all-knowing smile had slipped its way onto his face. "I'm kidding. Kealey. I'd never leave you like that, and I wouldn't let you leave me. You're stuck with me, girl. I... just wanted you to know that."

Kealey cut off when Shin put his finger against her lips, staring back intently at him as the grin spread across his face. He had been teasing her. For a moment, irritation flashed through the blond, but then Shin spoke and those feelings evaporated.

How did he get her so well? How had he worked out what was upsetting her about the ending of the end of the series? How had he known exactly what to say?

She felt like she should be grinning, but somehow this was serious and she looked Shin right in the eyes.

"Really?" she asked, "That's good, because you've been stuck with me for a while now."

"That's okay," The grin softened. Now, it was just a warm smile. Shin bowed his head. "Because." Dramatic pause. Shin looked her in the eye. "I love you." He just let it hop out and hug her 'hello'.

Another moment passed, another subtle change in emotion, and the smile on Shin's face changed just slightly. Kealey noticed this and found herself smiling back as Shin dropped his head slightly. She was going to say something,but he spoke first.

Because....

It was okay if he was stuck with her...because he loved her.

Three little words. Three little true words. Kealey gasped softly at the revelation, looking at what she was feeling.

"Oh....that's what it was...." she said almost to herself, talking about the warm feelings that had seemingly grown warmer as time passed.

Kealey never broke eye contact, and the only hesitation was while she identified the emotions for what they really were, "I love you too, Shin." she said past her heart, which was currently trying to beat its way out of her throat. Then came the grin, and Kealey had feeling it wasn't going anywhere for a while.

They were both grinning, and yes, it stayed there. It wasn't going away any time soon. But alas, all grinning silences have to be disturbed by something. Shin broke the grin-fest first, turning back to the television screen and slumping against Kealey's side. "So. Garo-movie?" He hugged her hopefully.

The moment was there, and then it was gone...but not really. Kealey knew what all those warm, glowy feelings that had a tendency to settle over her like a blanket were. She was also sure, no positive, about what she'd replied. It was nice to b e so certain, and she kept right on grinning as Shin slumped agianst her and suggested the GARO movie.

"Absolutely." she said, hugging him back tightly. Suddenly, it didn't matter quite as much what happened on the screen, but watching it would still be fun.

*Fade to GARO*