Brunch and a Flick (Lani.)

[Lani Hunter]

For a moment Lani’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully at Odion. “And…” he replied, “I don’t know, I really like them so if you really wanted to see them, I’d be glad to see them again.” Lani hoped that that sounded a little bit distant, but there was an underscore of eagerness that slipped into his voice. Odion would not be wrong in his assumptions. Lani might not have as many movies as he had books, but he was definitely a movie person as well and had a decent collection. Lani’s face broke into a smile. That smirk. That very Odion smirk had butterflies in Lani’s stomach going crazy. Looking at Odion, a smile ghosted Lani’s lips. Not everything had to be adrenaline filled, there had to be some relaxation and this was nice, it was nice just being in each other’s company with nothing to distract them. Well, besides the movie but that was over.

Telekinesis was like seeing the world in black and white and void of all life. At least that was Lani’s experience. He could tell that there was a popcorn kernel just under Odion’s chair and he could tell that the chairs were all now empty and he could feel the sweep of the broom against the floor without looking. What he could feel was that there was a set of shoes, pants and shirt sitting in the shape of a person next to him, and his power could sense the timeless power it was so used to but for the actual person, well there might as well have been no one there at all. Lani nodded. “Just like I’ll never understand your time-turning,” Lani replied, he supposed that that was it. No one person could explain their power so that another knew exactly what it was like because everyone was different. If telekinetics were all different and Lani was willing to bet all time controllers were different too.

Lani gestured toward the door and followed Odion out. He blinked in the light and wrinkled his nose as if he were just waking up from a dream. For some reason no matter what time he went to the movies he always expected it to be dark outside after he got out. Rationally he knew that was an insane expectation but it always came anyways. He looked at Odion and listened taking what Odion was saying and mulling it around in his head. Slowly, he nodded. That was precisely it. “Yep,” he replied, “Believe me I’ve tried, as far as my power is concerned nothing that lives is real.” He smiled and laughed a little at the absurdity of it all. His smile faltered a bit and he did his best to suppress the shiver that went down his spine. He hadn’t really taking much note until that one time he and Odion had found the kittens. His power could touch that which was no longer living. Dead leaves were one thing, but a dead cat. His mind still felt dirty doing it.

“It’s very strange,” Lani said as an afterthought, shaking the thought out of his mind. His mind was a fragile web and it didn’t take a lot to disrupt it, he didn’t like to think of what would happen if he used his power too much or if he finally snapped and his power took him over. Sometimes it felt like he was balancing on the edge and all it would take was a gentle breeze to tip him over. He looked at Odion, something about the redhead called him back, always called him back from the edge. When Odion was gone he lost his center. He shut out his emotions and that which made him human. “How is your power treating you?” He asked suddenly, giving Odion a piercing gaze. As much as he tried not to, he worried. If Odion’s power was still running away with him Lani wanted to know.

[Odion Martins]

Odion gave a nod. “Well I did enjoy this one. The time jumps were interesting.” There were many times during the movie where Odion felt as though it had been captured perfectly. Especially the part where time had stood still while the speedster in the movie maneuvered through it. Granted his power wasn’t time control, but it was exactly how Odion saw things. Even the side effect of bringing someone with him was the same: intense nausea. Odion snapped out of his daze and glanced at the vacant screen. "Right now I feel like the man who did the time travelling, the truth of the past unknown.” He meant that statement in so many ways. He didn’t understand the series, but more importantly he didn’t understand himself, or his memories. And it wasn’t that they were different or wrong, they were simply being kept under wraps.

Lani’s power was fascinating. “I know that this is how your power works, but I really don’t understand it.” Odion admitted, giving a soft smile. He wasn’t trying to poke fun, he was merely stating what was going on. Yes Lani’s power couldn’t manipulate living things, but how could it differentiate? Why did it matter? Would there ever be a point that Lani could, the real key being in his mind? Was Lani too afraid to hurt someone to really try and push his power to the limit? Did he even want to? Many questions ran through Odion’s mind, and he was sure Lani had had similar questions of his own. But if Lani didn’t know, then it would remain a mystery.

Giving a shrug, Odion led them out of the theatre and back onto the sidewalk. “I suppose it’s back in working order,” Odion said, though he hadn’t been pushing his limits too much as of late. His mind and body were getting stronger, but he didn’t want to push his luck. There was no reason to set new records at the moment. Odion was content with being happy and whole for once. Odi adjusted his shirt somewhat after sitting for so long. He wasn’t going to say so, but he was going to escort Lani home. It just wouldn’t feel like a proper date otherwise, and he wanted to end it on a high note.

Giving Lani a stare, Odion had many things on his mind. Instead, he settled on a question of no particular interest. “Of all the movies in the X-Men series, which is your favorite?”

[Lani Hunter]

Lani nodded in agreement. He didn’t understand it, he would probably never understand all of the time strangeness and the consequences of going back and forward. “That was really good, I don’t really understand how you would send just your mind back into a different time.” He shook his head, to him that made very little sense. “And wouldn’t it be an issue for him to tell people things about the future, wouldn’t his past self also remember it since he technically lived through the second timeline again?” he was talking in circles and he could barely understand what he was trying to get at in his own head. Lani definitely felt a twinge of sympathy having been on the receiving end of Odion’s time jumps. Lani looked at Odion and it struck him how true that was. There were many emotions racing through Lani’s heart and mind, from anger to pity to love.

Odion had blocked it all out and this is where it had gotten them. Erased. The word weaseled its way into his mind and struck his heart like a gong. He supposed that was true. Odion might not remember but Lani did. Odion’s lack of memory couldn’t make what happened not happen and it couldn’t make everything okay, but they both knew that. Lani nodded solemnly. “Good then we’re on the same page.” They both didn’t understand his power. Only difference, Odion didn’t have to wield said power. He smiled softly, he and his power had come to an understanding of sorts. Emotions had been washed away and his power had answered his call like a loyal dog, but emotions were striking him strongly and Lani was defenseless to stop the onslaught and his power was reacting frantically. He needed to get a hold of himself before something happened.

“You suppose?” Lani asked in a challenging tone, raising a brow at Odion. God he was going to kill Odion if he was doing anything stupid. He wondered if it was a ‘suppose’ in the way that Odion hadn’t done a lot of testing or if it was the ‘suppose’ in the sense that it hadn’t done anything bad so he guessed it was better. It was just like when he broke his arm all those years ago, his arm might not hurt anymore but he had to work to strengthen it before he had been able to pull himself onto rooftops again. He’d almost broken his other arm trying that. Regardless, Lani wanted more information for Odion, he couldn’t tell what Odion’s power was doing to him and it left Lani perpetually worried, especially when Odion started getting distracted and slipping through time. Lani was lost in his worries for a moment and found himself examining the redhead critically to see if there were any answers that could be gleaned from Odion’s external appearance.

Odion was looking better. He was looking a lot more like himself, stronger, confident and healthy. Color was back in his face and the clean crispness of his demeanor and posture showed more about how Odion was doing than him saying he was alright. They had both changed this past year, in mind and in body, Lani was still taller than Odion, but he was lanky where Odion was well muscled. Lani blinked and uttered an eloquent, “Uh,” in response to the sudden unexpected question. It was then he realized he had been staring and blushed a little, thinking himself caught admiring. He had to think for a moment. “I don’t really know…” He added to buy himself a little bit of time. He turned his eyes away for a moment, “Probably the third one… or perhaps the second. Definitely the second.” He decided with a little nod. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen them.” His eyes flashed impishly as he grinned. “What do you say to a marathon?”

[Odion Martins]

“I haven’t really tried doing that, to be honest.” Odion said, the gears of his mind setting to work. Or maybe, whenever he did time travel, he had only sent his mind back. But then one wouldn’t feel the bodily sensations they did while time travelling. Now it was something he wanted to try, and it was written all over his face. To his credit, the beginning of the film had displayed no warning of ‘DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME’.

Odion smiled softly in return, matching the look on Lani’s face. There was much to be said, and much to be known and not all of it was going to be good. But if they were on the same page, perhaps they could also begin a new chapter together. “What an odd and rare place to be,” Odion pointed out, seeing as he had nothing left to say about Lani’s power. They could agree that they were both complicated, and so were their powers.

Shaking his head at Lani’s concern, Odion still wasn’t used to having someone care about his wellbeing. There were only a few people who ever had, Jared being the longest, then Avi… “Let’s just say that I haven’t been subscribing to pushing my power until it breaks.” Maybe he would if he didn’t feel so unsure of himself at the moment. Once upon a time, Odion had told Lani to do just that – break out of the mold just to see what would happen, fail or succeed, at least you would know. Now Odion wasn’t so sure of himself. It wasn’t due to wisdom, but rather timidity. He needed his mind if things were going to be put to rest, and that couldn’t happen if he was… Well, were he had been over the summer.

If there was one thing Odion had going for him, it was the way he took care of himself. Well, when he decided to do so. He had gone through so many extreme ups and downs in his life that it was a bloody miracle he could still walk and talk normally. He smiled at Lani’s reaction none too humbly and was about to repeat the question, but Lani seemed to come back quickly from La La Land. “I say doing so may actually help you decide better.” He teased, laughter echoing all around them. His laughter. It was nice to hear such a thing.

“You just let me know when and where, and I’ll be there.” Assuming they were eventually going to talk about certain things, and soon. It was killing Odion to think that they could be something more again, something better than who they were on their own. It was going to kill him to spend this kind of quality time with Lani, only to have it come to being apart once more. He had to know if the past was something that would make or break them. And he had to know soon.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani looked at Odion interest and curiosity in his eyes. “Do you think it’s possible?” He asked, knowing very little about time travel and control he had no choice but to turn to an expert. It almost seemed like it would be challenging because who would believe that they knew what happened in the future. He raised a brow at Odion and worry crept over his features. “What’re you planning?” He asked suspiciously. He really hoped that Odion wasn’t planning on doing something stupid, he had that sly look on his face that had a great deal of excitement in it. Well, Lani reasoned, Odion would do what he wanted it was better to be there if he needed help then suggest that he not try it.

Nodding in agreement Lani turned his eyes away for a moment. No one had ever encouraged him to test his power like Odion had and since the redhead had been gone Lani had retreated into what he knew so perhaps there was so much more about his power that he didn’t know. What a rare and odd place indeed. There wasn’t a whole lot that they agreed on, and even when they did it was likely one would play the devil’s advocate for the other just for the challenge. On the subject of powers Lani knew his was doing well for the moment but he knew nothing about how Odion’s was acting up or not acting up. Lani was relieved that Odion hadn’t been pushing it too much. “Don’t rush it,” Lani said gently, “take it easy for a bit.” God he wished that Odion had the ability to give himself a break. He was so blind to all of the things that Lani saw and he magnified the flaws tenfold.

Odion’s laughter was like music to his ears and Odion was treated to a large smile and a laugh of Lani’s. When Odion smiled or laughed it was truly infectious. One could not be in ill spirits if Odion was in good spirits. “Therefore in the spirit of science the only way to know for sure is to gather all of the data,” he replied with just as much gaiety. If Lani could keep Odion laughing he would be the happiest man alive. Lani realized something as he smiled, all of the hurt and all of the stress of their breakup no longer seemed so important. If he could learn to trust Odion again then he could learn to open up his heart to him again. The pain wasn’t gone but it was cushioned. He had to admit that he was happy, the happiest he’d been in a long time and part of him was keeping his distance because he didn’t want to be crushed in case Odion remembered something and it shattered them. He couldn’t bear that kind of heartache again.

“I will,” Lani assured him, hoping that when Odion remembered he didn’t remember that leaving was the better decision. Lani finally looked forward realizing that they were heading in an arbitrary direction, no real purpose. Lani wasn’t sure what to do now but he didn’t want leave Odion yet. He was happy just to walk with him for as long as Odion would let him. “That will allow you to catch up too.” He added after a moment and looked over at the redhead. “Who was your favorite character?” he asked abruptly looking at Odion curiously. He wanted to know if Odion had really enjoyed it or if he was just humoring Lani. It wasn’t like Odion to bite his tongue on that sort of thing but something in Lani’s mind had stirred up the worry and he also found it gave him another excuse to watch Odion.

[Odion Martins]

Odion smiled that devilish grin that said he was up to no good, which normally he was. “Anything’s possible,” he replied vaguely. It wasn’t something he had thought about before, but good stories often put new and better ideas into people’s minds. Imagine if he could accomplish something like that! It was certainly a goal worth striving for, in baby steps mind you. The redhead gave Lani a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Nothing to fret over, just a little advanced time travel. In due time of course.” It wasn’t like he was going to try something so insane tomorrow. Maybe in a month or so, after some hard training.

“I wasn’t planning on rushing anything,” Odion said in a vague and oddly truthful way. He wasn’t going to rush his powers, he wasn’t going to rush them, and he certainly wasn’t going to fiddle with time until he felt that surge of confidence in himself he once had. Thinking about it now reminded Odion that he couldn’t have one without the other. If there was no Lani, time was lost on him. But with Lani, Odion knew he could do anything. It was a cycle Odion didn’t know existed unless he dwelt on the past, as he had been doing so lately. He would never be able to move on and continue pressing the limits of his power if he couldn’t first figure out what he had done to the most precious relationship he had, and hoped to have again.

Odion giggled and shook his head. Lani, sharp as he was, was as equally silly. “In the spirit of science then,” Odion agreed, reaching his hand out so they could shake on the deal, “I expect to see proof, preferably on paper of some kind.” Odion hoped days like today could be repeated in new ways, but repeated in the sense of equal happiness and openness. It was refreshing to be in a place of awe and comfort, and also be vulnerable. A day like today would never have sat well with him in the past, but he was turning new leaves. He was tired of living a dead life.

It hadn’t been lost on Odion that they were nowhere near Lani’s apartment. He didn’t mind, but it seemed that Lani hadn’t been doing it on purpose. A small smile dominated Odion’s face, and he wondered if his thoughts of hope were clearly written on his face for Lani to see. He didn’t want to leave either. “Well if the last few are as enjoyable as the one we just saw, I won’t mind devoting some time to the endeavour,” he said coyly. Yes, this was all in the name of science. Thinking on the question, Odion gave a shrug. “That’s hard to say…” None of them seemed well developed to him, but that was because he was missing more than eighty percent of the story. “I’ll have to pick after we watch a couple,” he insisted, not trying to hide from the question, but showing he truly did not have an answer for the time being.

It was a pleasant fall afternoon and time had been lost on him, as it often was. Dinner time was just around the corner, but Odion’s stomach wasn’t hungry but rather filled with butterflies. He took a breath, and decided to run with the ten seconds of courage lingering on his heart and mind. “I’ve missed you,” he said softly, wondering if his words would carry on the wind towards Lani’s ears. In a sense, Odion continued to miss Lani. This was nice, but was it real?

[Lani Hunter]

Lani gave the redhead a suspicious look. That expression was one that Lani knew well enough for it to make him nervous. Lani snorted, unable to keep himself from smiling. Odion wasn’t one for clichés, but the statement wasn’t lost on Lani and he gave Odion a look that was somewhere between amusement and worry. Lani let his head drop as if so defeated by the notion he couldn’t hold it up. He shook his head struggling (and failing) to holding back a laugh. There was nothing about that statement that he found reassuring. Lani lifted his eyes and gave Odion a mock glare, he knew telling Lani not to worry was like telling a tree not to drop its leaves. “Just don’t do anything crazy,” Lani said. He’d only just gotten Odion back, he didn’t want to lose him again.

Nodding, Lani suppressed a sigh of relief. That was just what he was hoping to hear. Odion had always been more in control of his power, he’d always tested his limits when Lani was afraid to take his power more than halfway. Lani admired that, but it also worried the hell out of him, especially now, if Odion were to push himself too far too fast… Lani cut off the thought where it began and with a great deal of determination he balled it up and tossed it out of his mind. He allowed himself a moment of bliss. Turning his face to the sky he squinted at the small puffs of cumulous that wandered lazily across the blue sky. How they could grow into something so magnificent and dangerous… well, he supposed it was a little like himself and a little like Odion. They could be as they were now, fluffy and carefree, but they could grow and become something much stronger.

Lani gave a surprised laugh but took Odion’s hand and gave it a decisive shake. “You’d better be prepared to eat those words,” he challenge with a raise of a brow. Lani would make Odion sit through an hour long presentation if he was going to give Lani that level of sass. Lani’s hand lingered in the grasp of Odion’s. His strong, but gentle hands weren’t smooth to the touch, but they were hands that had known hardship and overcome. They were hands that were soft in love and strong in conviction, hands that would sooner comfort and harm. With reluctance Lani released them “Well, first things first, we need to examine the evidence,” he continued a sly expression on his face. “I’m talking straight through, junk food, for four… maybe five hours,” he said. The telekinetic pointed a finger at Odion and raised a brow, “Can you handle it?” Lani was going to be surprised if he could get Odion to sit still for that long, the boy was so active.

The idea was getting Lani excited, all his fears were briefly dismissed… until he thought about how nice it would be to snuggle with Odion on the couch. There was still so much that had been left unsaid. It was that thought that actually startled Lani into a realization. He’d made his decision already. He’d told Odion he needed time to think and now he was here with Odion and being here wasn’t just the only decision that made sense, it was the only thing he wanted. He bit his tongue on the knowledge, he’d made his decisions with full mind and memory. He steeled himself against the feelings, Odion still was in the dark, who knew what would happen when those floodgates broke. Would Odion realized he had been right in the first place. His heart ached at the thought, remembering all of the pain. ‘Why did you pull me out of the ice?’ His heart lamented.

He had changed a lot since he and Odion had broken up. Lani’d learned a great deal about pain and now he was learning even more about forgiveness. It wasn’t a thief’s place to blame, but it wasn’t their way to forgive either. The hurt came in agonizing enormity because love… this love, was a great fire and when Odion had left it had vanished leaving with it a gaping hole. But Lani had found friend too, and he had learned that little fires could always warm the heart, even if it invited the risk of pain. These friends and their fire couldn’t make up for the great hearth, but it did ease the chill. He couldn’t live isolated in ice, his friends had showed him that. But what Odion was teaching him now was how to forgive, not Odion. No, Lani’d never blamed Odion for any of it, but himself. That seemed like a much more daunting task.

The wind tossed up a few flaming leaves, bringing Lani’s thoughts to life for a moment. He did a double glance unsure if what he thought he heard. Instead of replying on way of another Lani linked his arm with Odion and tugged him in a new direction. There were likely to be plenty of things scattered about downtown and on a pleasant day like this what better way to spend it but strolling the streets with Odion? Besides, he knew there was something bound to make Odion smile.