Pietro sat in the janitor’s closet, smoking a cigarette. He had skipped class, and not wanting to go home or anywhere else, he came here. For some reason, he was on edge. The cigarettes helped calm him down. The reason, he thought, he was on edge was because he had seen him before class. In the hall. Every time Pietro saw him, ever since he found out that he loved him, it put him on the edge. Made him nervous, distracted. It scared the hell out of him.


He took one last drag and put the cigarette out. He started to pull out another when the door opened. Pietro was off in a corner, not visible to whoever was coming in. And of this, he was glad. ‘Cause who should it be that was pushed inside? Him. Evan. Pietro drew in sharp breaths. He saw someone push Evan in, saw him fall to the ground, then saw a hand grab the doorknob and pull the door shut. Then he heard a click. Someone had locked the door. Shit. Pietro thought.


“Damn you! Open this fucking door! Open it!” Evan stood up and pounded on the door. A laugh came from the other side. Evan continued to bang on the door, but the sounds of footsteps leaving made him stop. “God damn it!”

Pietro pulled out another cigarette and his lighter. He clicked it on and lit the cigarette. Evan heard this and whirled around. “Who’s there?”


“Just me Daniels.” Pietro said. He was extremely nervous. He knew it sounded in his voice. He looked at his hand, and saw it shaking. Dammit.


“Oh great. It’s bad enough I get locked in here, now I’m locked in here with you! Christ.” Evan said, peering around til he spotted Pietro shaking in the corner. “Jeez, what’s up with you? You’re shaking like your freezing or something.”


“I... I ain’t cold. Just... Just... something. Heh heh, want a light? I got... a few more.” Pietro stuttered out. Evan looked at him with a strange look on his face.


“You high or somethin’? You act like you’re a crackhead.”


“No... No crack... Just these. You want one?”


“What the hell. Help pass the time.” Evan took the cigarette Pietro offered. Pietro lit it for him. He took a drag and sighed. “Ain’t had one of these in a while.”


“Xavier keeps you on a short leash, eh?” His speech was getting better, and he had almost stopped shaking. Being so near him, so near his rival, so near to who he loved, it was almost driving him insane.


“Yeah, really. So what are you doin’ in here?” It was strange for Evan, being so nice to Pietro. The boy had really thrown him for a loop, literally. Damn he’s so fine. Did I just think that? Holy fuck. I did. And God help me, it’s true. He is fucking fine.


“Came here to hide. To get away. Didn’t want to go home, didn’t want to go no where. So I came here.” Pietro took one long drag, and the cigarette was gone. He trashed the filter. He started to take another one, then decided against it. Gotta save the rest for later.


“I hear ya. When you live with all others, like I do, all you want to do is get away. But that’s not why I’m here. Duncan and jackass friends put me in here. He’s pissed Jean won’t go out with him, so he takes it out on the first one of us he sees, which unfortunately was me. Fucking bastard.” Evan finishes his cigarette and throws it on the floor. He stomps it out, then sits down beside Pietro.


“So.... Guess we’re gonna be in here a while, huh?” Pietro says, not able to look him in the eye.


“Yeah, I guess. Well, I could send out a message to Jean.”


“Yeah, you could.” Pietro took a quick glance at Evan then turned away. He pulled his knees up to his chest.


“Nah, I won’t. I get out of class, and besides, if she finds out
Duncan did it, she’ll yell at him, and I’ll probably get the shit beat out of me by him and his idiots. Trust me, I’d rather be here right now. Even if you’re in here.” Okay, not the way to get the guy’s attention. Especially not if you’re nuts for him.


“I’m comforted.” Pietro muttered. He’s such an asshole. Hmm... But such a beautiful asshole....


“Hey man, I didn’t mean it like that. Well, at least I don’t think I did. No, I didn’t. To tell ya the truth, I don’t hate ya. I... I... nevermind.” Evan didn’t know what he was about to say. Or if he should say it.


“You.. You.. what?” Pietro said, grinning. If only. If only. What the hell, should I go for it? Yeah. Yeah I will. God I gotta be fucking stupid. “What? You love me?” Jesus, I said it. Evan looked up at him, then away.


“Yeah man. I think I do.” Shit, did I say that? Hell, I did! Oh fuck, he’s gonna know I’m gay. Wait, he said it? Does that mean? Does it really me-- His thought were cut off by Pietro’s mouth on his. He returned the kiss, tasting as much as he could of Pietro’s mouth. This continued for a few minutes, until they finally broke from each other.


“Holy shit.” Pietro said, laughing. “Damn.”


“You said it. But, what does this mean?”


“Does it have to mean anything?” Pietro countered. “’Cause all it means to me is that I’m in love.”


“Yeah, me too. What will the others think? The X-Men, and the Brotherhood?”


“Who gives a shit about what they think? We’re the only two people who matter in this.”


“I always knew you were smart, but dammit, I didn’t think you knew about things like this.” Evan stared at him. “Here’s another question. Where do we go from here?”


“Where ever the road make take us.”
Pietro stroked Evan’s cheek. “And it doesn’t matter, as long as we’re together.”


“Yeah. We’ll always be together. Forever.” Evan replied. They kissed again.


“Maybe you should call Jean. I’ll hide in the corner, so she won’t see me, if you want me to. Maybe it would be for the best, at first. Til things calm down some.” Pietro told him.


“Hmm. You’re right. But only for a little while. You better hide. I’ll call Jean.” Evan reluctantly got up while Pietro shrank back into the corner as far as he could. A few minutes later, the door unlocked. With a quick side glance back at the figure in the corner, Evan left.


Hmm... Lance is right. You find love in the strangest places, with the strangest people. Pietro smiled and took out another cigarette. He lit it, took a drag, looked at it, then pitched it to the floor and stomped it out. Won’t need that shit no more. He got up from the corner and walked out the now unlocked door. Yeah. He won’t need that anymore. ‘Cause now, he had something better. He had love. And dammit, nobody was gonna take that away from him.