Three months later

[steelartisan]

There are murmurs in the air: San Francisco, publicly declared haven to mutants. The possibility of moving; the fact that Xavier's school is neither precisely a haven nor precisely Xavier's any more.

The gossip mill has always been a thriving entity at the Mansion. Telepaths only help this along. So far, it's only an idea being tossed noncommittally back and forth, and only one item of many in the grapevine. (Others include the federal government's inconsistent and uneasy stance on mutants, who's dating whom, and, for the brave or foolhardy, the question of how exactly Emma keeps her costume from falling off.)

Right now, though, Piotr is not listening to anybody gossiping about anything.

He's settled, instead, under a tree in one of the further corners of the Mansion's grounds. Kate's head is resting in his lap, and one of her hands loosely twined with his.

She's finally gotten clearance from Hank to take off the Genoshan collar. It was really about time.

Comments

[prydeful]

"Mmm. I think your mutant power is actually the ability to give neck rubs that feel like heaven," she sighs, and pulls his hand a little closer so she can press a kiss to it before pull it down and smoothing it out over her stomach.

It's become a comforting act; Kate's not sure which of them really started it, though she'd bet good money it was Piotr, but she's happy to contribute. And yes, it may be (always may, with a mutant baby) another month, or around there, before they feel any movement beneath those hands...

But it's a comfort, as said, and one she adores.

"Next time, you wear it."