2610/The Stars and the Sea

The Stars and the Sea
Date of Scene:	25 July 2020
Location:	Roof Tower
Synopsis:	Julio meets Bobby on the rooftop balcony and they discuss some of their weirder recent experiences; Bobby decides he's coming with him to Atlantis.
Cast of Characters:	Julio Richter, Bobby Drake

---

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio would be embarrassed to admit it, but there's a sheet of paper back in his dorm with a ranked list of cool night spots for potential dates scrawled out in his angular hand. Now it's Friday night, and he's free, so it's prime time to put that brainstorming to work. Nonetheless, with the day he's had, he bypassed all of those ideas and suggested instead that he and Bobby take a break up on the tower at the crux of Xavier's School. It's a nice, relaxing place to sit, look at the stars, and talk.

When he arrives, Julio's wearing a tour T-shirt for Lila Cheney and Joan Jett under an open blue button-up shirt over khaki shorts. He takes a seat on a lounge chair, sets an already-open bottle of lemon soda on a short table beside him, and takes a deep breath, waiting for Bobby to arrive.

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby comes wandering up in a pair of faded jeans, running shoes, and a plain white t-shirt. He's got a bottle of coke in one hand which he takes a sip from as he makes his way over to where Julio is sitting. He plops himself down into the lounge chair next to his and sets the bottle down on the ground next to him. "Hey," he says with a little crooked grin as he settles in. "It's nice out here tonight." Warm, but not too warm, with just enough of a breeze to make it comfortable, and the stars up overhead. "How're you doing?"

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio's face lights up with a grin as Bobby arrives. "It is nice," he agrees. "And it's nice to see you." It does occur to him that both of these nice things were things he asked for, specifically, so saying that they're nice is a little bit redundant. Still, for much the same reason that going to a rock show or a horror movie didn't appeal tonight, the comfort of seeing Bobby's smile and having a chance to talk to him about his day takes the sting out of those self-deprecating thoughts.

He reaches out as Bobby walks past, hoping to catch his hand and give it a little squeeze as he sits down. "I'm OK. How have you been? No Sabretooth attacks or" -- he pauses, eyes suddenly wide in a teasingly exaggerated expression of concern -- "coffee dates?"

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby lets his hand be caught as he passes close and he gives Julio's a gentle squeeze. Once he's seated he tucks one arm under his head so that he can watch Julio as they talk. His own blue eyes sparkle a little bit, and he certainly seems both relaxed and happy to see Julio as well. "I've been good. Spent some time getting some things together for when the school year starts. Figuring out which classroom I'll be teaching in, that kind of thing." He laughs brightly then and says, "The only reason you haven't evaporated is because we didn't go out for coffee." He attempts to look very grave about this. "It's for your safety." But he can't really keep a straight face.

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio rolls onto his side to face Bobby, watching him take a seat and then smiling with interest as he talks about what he's been getting done. The mention of a classroom draws a quirk of Julio's eyebrows and an eager, "Ah, where? I like the basement, but you seem like a second floor guy. Big windows, nice view. Let me know if you need help moving anything in."

The callback to the running coffee joke is answered with a gently mischievous grin, and "Oh, I know. And I don't want to evaporate." That last trails off on an uncertain note -- there is something Julio needs to talk about, but would kind of rather forestall. "So, I had kind of an eventful day myself," he says, as preamble.

Bobby Drake has posed:
"Second floor," Bobby confirms with a little grin and a shrug of his shoulders. "I like the windows," he admits. Then he nods and says "Sure. I don't really /have/ anything to move in at the moment, but I figure I'll need to go get some things once I go through what's there." He can see that uncertainty, sense that there's something there, lurking beneath the surface. And so his smile fades a little and his expression turns a little more attentive, perhaps a little concerned. "Yeah? What happened?" he asks.

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio immediately spots Bobby's concern and wants to reassure him; he sits up and slides his legs over the side of the lounge chair to face him, reaching out to take his hand and cup it in his own. "It's nothing bad!" he quickly clarifies. Then he winces. "Well, OK, it's a little bad, but nobody's hurt. I'm fine, everybody is fine. The bad thing is that I have to go away for a little bit." He runs his thumbs over Bobby's palm, occasionally giving it a tiny squeeze. "I know you were saying you were worried I would leave and suddenly I guess I have to? But it's only for a little bit and I'm coming back as soon as I can. Maybe you can come with me? I don't know." His head turns from side to side by degrees, as he tries to sort out how to explain what happened.

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby Drake shifts as well, pulling himself up to sit cross-legged on the lounge, turned a little bit toward Julio when he takes his hand. His expression shifts from relief, to curiosity, to disappointment as the words come forth. If there is one thing that Bobby is /not/ good at, it's concealing what he's feeling. Every single emotion plays across his features. He frowns a bit and looks down at their hands, watching Julio's thumbs run over his palm. He nods slowly though, and finally looks up toward the end. "Where do you have to go? And when? And.. why?"

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio takes a long breath, maintaining eye contact but consciously letting some of his tension go; his shoulders visibly slacken. He quite obviously hates to be the cause of some of those feelings that Bobby is wearing so openly.

"OK. Talk slow, start at the start," he admonishes himself, and it's a stricture he sticks to as he tells the story. "I was shopping with Ruth and Doug in town. We came out of a store, and there was a man with no shirt in the street, and a cat lady in her underwear that I have seen on TV shows but I guess she's an Avenger, too." Even the slow, chronological version doesn't make any sense. "The shirtless man said he was the King of Atlantis and needed Doug to read an iPad." The word was actually 'tablet,' but Julio has only one context for that term. "He also thought Ruth and I were Doug's servants, so I got mad and said I would drop him into a crevasse and then everyone got very worried and Ruth said I should stop talking or horrible things would happen, and she's usually right about that stuff, so I did stop talking."

He gives Bobby a pleading look. "So now they've told me this striptisto is really old and powerful and if we piss him off terrible things will happen, so I have to go to Atlantis until Doug can read an iPad." What /is/ it with Boomers and basic tech, anyway?

Bobby Drake has posed:
Disappointment gradually turns to confusion, to bafflement, back to confusion again. "Wait.. what?" He blinks slowly and then he says, "Why would /you/ have to go to Atlantis until Doug can read an iPad?" Because let's forget about the shirtless old and powerful guy and the cat in her underwear because that's a whole other set of questions for another time. Bobby focuses right down onto the primary issue for him. "Why can't Doug just read an iPad here?"

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio gives Bobby a slow, helpless shrug. "I don't know -- King Nipples said something about it being a very secret, ancient tablet? So like a generation 1, I guess. Apple must have stopped supporting them years ago."

He gives Bobby's hand a sharper squeeze as he continues, "That's the thing, there's no reason for me to go, except that this stupid king thought I was a servant and if I don't show up, apparently we're all going to be in trouble." He looks like he has as many questions as Bobby does, and at least the whole story is too ridiculous to possibly be made up.

Bobby Drake has posed:
There's some understanding that slowly dawns there and Bobby says, "Oh.. a tablet.. like some kind of ancient rock with carvings in it kind of tablet, I'm guessing. That.. makes a little more sense for needing Doug to read it." He rubs at his face a little bit and then says, "Okay so.. the King of Atlantis wants Doug to translate some kind of ancient writing, and thinks that you are his servant and need to accompany him.." He still doesn't seem to get that last part and then he says, "I'll come with you. When do you have to go?"

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio stares at Bobby for a moonlit second, then squints as though /Bobby/ might be the one making things up to mess with /him/. "You use the same word for a rock with carvings and an iPad?" He stares for another moment, then suddenly bows his head down to his forearms, shoulders shaking with laughter.

"Languages make no sense," he says when his laughter has faded, face popping back up with a lopsided smile. "But eh, neither does anything else, so why should they?"

His eyebrows rise questioningly as he asks, "You really want to come with? I mean, it's all so weird, and it's not like you asked to be involved..." He draws a little closer, scooting toward the edge of his chair, and adds more quietly, "But I think I'd feel a lot better with you there."

Bobby Drake has posed:
"Sortof. Tablets were uh, something you'd carry around and write on. They've evolved from like.. rock, to chalkboard tablets, to like, electronic tablets.." Bobby tries to explain and grins a little bit with a shrug of his shoulders. "Look, I don't make up language rules. I'm a mathematician." He smiles a little bit crookedly.

"Yeah," Bobby says, "I do," when Julio asks if he really wants to go. "I know I didn't ask to get involved but.. I think if you're going to have to go off to some weird kingdom, you could use as much backup as you can get, just in case. And.. I want to be there."

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio's smile grows slowly, and he lets out a breath with an expression of warm gratitude. "Bobby, that means a lot," he says. "People I care about don't always stick around when things get hard. You're a good man." He reaches out to put his hands on either side of Bobby's neck, scoots all the way off of his lounge chair, and leans forward in a crouch to kiss him softly. After a second, he pulls away and sets his forehead against Bobby's shoulder, hands shifting forward so that his arms can drape like a mantle over the other man.

"King Nipmore said we'd have time to get our things, but we have to head out as soon as possible. So tomorrow morning we go down to the beach and I guess some more Atlantis people are going to meet us and take us down." He snorts quietly. "In a fish bus, I guess?"

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby shifts on his seat, setting his feet down on the floor as Julio moves closer. "I know we just started seeing each other, and we don't know each other really well yet but I want to be there, not just when it's fun and easy." He brushes his fingertips along Julio's jaw when he leans in, and he returns the kiss softly. His fingers drift through Julio's hair and he rests his cheek against the side of his head when he rests his head on Bobby's shoulder. "Okay, so tomorrow morning, we'll head down to the beach and we're going to Atlantis. And we'll just tell him that I'm another part of the entourage. Plus, I'm the only one in the group who can actually turn /into/ water." He smiles a little faintly.

Julio Richter has posed:
"I know. I'm not the simplest person to be with anyway, and this is asking a lot of you, very early," Julio says, his heartbeat steadied by Bobby's simple willingness to be held and hold him in return. "The way you are here for me; being... stable? Just because someone needs you to be? I want to be more like that. Not running away or starting a fight all the time."

He finally eases away from Bobby, shifting around to sit next to him with one arm around his shoulders. "But then, you're always teaching me things," he says, genuine warmth visible in his face by the faint starlight. "Polynomials, history of tablets... swimming lessons."

Bobby Drake has posed:
"You didn't ask," Bobby points out with a little smile as he settles in next to Julio, leaning against him and sliding one arm around his waist, leaning in against his shoulder. "You said maybe I could come. I was the one who decided that I was going to." He smiles a little crookedly. "I've been bouncing back and forth to Genosha for Lorna, to be there for her and support her in everything going on there. Why not Atlantis? It'll be an adventure! It could be interesting? Nobody says that it's going to be a bad trip."

Bobby laughs quietly and says, "Yeah well, as long as I'm not ever actually your teacher, or that could get awkward." He smiles a little wryly. "But I don't think you're going to be in my classes, or I'd have to stop seeing you.. and I'm.. really not ready to do that."

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio nods, wrapping his arm more snugly around Bobby as he settles in, and runs his fingers through the other man's hair as he listens. When he does reply, it's to the last part first, joining in with Bobby's quiet laughter and saying, "Si -- that is /not/ how I planned on earning my grades next year. And 'Professor Drake' is..." He trails off and squints, then reluctantly admits, "Bien, actually a little sexy, but not to call a guy you're dating."

He laughs some more, then becomes a bit more somber as he continues, "I'm glad that's not how you see me: a junior partner or some kid you're in charge of. I have a lot of catching up to do in some things, but in others? I see most people my own age, and they seem innocent. Protected." He shakes his head, suddenly gives a single, breathy laugh, and concludes, "If you're ever Mr. Drake, I better be Mr. Richter."

Addressing the rest of what Bobby has to say, he admits, "I mean, I thought about asking... but I wouldn't feel right, putting that expectation on you. Like I said, you're a good man. You help me, you help Lorna -- I think you'll just help if someone asks you. So asking is like ordering? Does that make sense?"

After a second, he says one more thing: "Even so... Please keep helping me with math homework. You're really good at that. But you can say no if you want to."

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby laughs a little and says, "I'm teaching the younger kids. We figured that it'd probably be easier if I teach the youngest ones, since it won't be as difficult to get them to let me lead the classroom. Teaching unpowered kids is a challenge, teaching a bunch of powered kids is a whole other story. And teaching people close to my own age is probably a challenge I'm not entirely up to just yet." He smiles a little crookedly "Though I do like the sound of Professor Drake."

"We're not that far apart in age, are we? Like? Maybe two years?" Bobby asks, shrugging his shoulders. "I grew up here and when I started out I was the youngest member of the X-Men. Everyone was older than me, most of them a few years older than me. I know what it's like to feel like the kid that everyone else is in charge of." He tips his head up and grins at Julio. "Very well, Mr. Richter."

"Yeah, it makes sense," Bobby admits, "Even if I still have the choice either way. I could say no. But I don't want to." He laughs a little bit and says, "I'm happy to help you out with math. I'm happy to keep tutoring you. That's not the same as being your teacher. I'm happy to do it. And I know I could say no, but I actually like doing it. Besides, it gives me an excuse to spend more time with you."

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio moves his hand downward from Bobby's hair and begins giving the nape of his neck a gentle, one-handed massage. "Just don't spend so much time that you get sick of me, Señor Drake," he warns teasingly. "I can be a lot to deal with all at once."

To the exact age question, he furrows his brow and looks out over the starlit grounds, toward the creek where they first encountered each other. "Si, it's not much -- when you told me you were a teacher here, I was really surprised. 'But that guy's my age!' The last time I was in school, I was 16. In one way that felt like a lifetime in the past -- so much had happened since then -- but at the same time, like I had gotten too old for high school in a second, while I wasn't paying attention." He dips his head to nuzzle against Bobby's hair while he continues the neck rub, and finishes, "But for the exact answer, I was born in the year 2000 and I turned 20 last month."

He plants a quick kiss among Bobby's sandy locks and then adds, gently ribbing, "Little kids, eh? You have maybe more patience than me."

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby's eyes close when Julio rubs the back of his neck, letting his head tip forward just a little bit with a faint sigh. There's not a lot of tension there. He seems fairly relaxed, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't feel good. "You've said that twice now, that you're not easy to be with, that you're a lot to deal with." His tone is curious. "Why do you think that?"

He nods, "I'll be 22 in September, so, just a little under two years. That's nothing, really." He grins, "Yeah, a lot of people are surprised when they hear that I'm going to be teaching here, but I have my degree, and I'm working on my teacher's licensure. Which isn't really as big of a deal for teaching here, but would be if I were going to go teach somewhere else." He smiles at the nuzzle to his hair and turns his head to brush a kiss against the underside of Julio's jaw.

He grins, "I like little kids. And I'm not gonna lie and say that it's going to be easy. Pretty sure they're going to try my patience. But I want to give it a shot."

Julio Richter has posed:
Truth be told, Julio isn't as intent on relieving tension as he is enjoying the feeling of his fingers on Bobby's soft skin and the fine hairs that dust the back of his neck, and hearing the contented reaction his touch brings.

"I don't mean to be triste, I'm just..." He gives a little shrug, which Bobby can feel through their contact. "Four months ago, I was a homeless guy who broke out of a government detention camp. I ended up here because I was caught stealing food by a graduate. I'm still here illegally; the governments of two whole countries would like to lock me up, and a cartel would prefer me dead." He laughs, and it's not bitter, but how could he be bitter with a beautiful man in his arms, planting kisses along his jawline? "But you get it. I am not a catch."

"If you have enough patience for this moaning, you have plenty for those kids," Julio tells him, his self-deprecating smile shading into fondness when he looks down at him. "And you're smart and you work hard; you'll get your license and whatever teaching job you want, no problem."

Bobby Drake has posed:
"I think that there is a lot more to you than that," Bobby says as he shifts just a little so that he can tilt his head up and look at Julio. "You are smart. Just because you haven't covered some material doesn't change that. You are here now, not there. And your circumstances aren't who you are. I'm only just learning who you are, but I'm pretty sure that you are more of a catch than you think you are. You seem hardest on yourself." He rests his head back down on Julio's shoulder then. "I have patience to be here for you. I like talking to you. I want to know you. And you can return the favor by listening to me moan when I start teaching and all the kids drive me crazy," he laughs.

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio takes a long, deep breath, and meets Bobby's eyes when he looks up, smiling wistfully at him. When Bobby settles back onto his shoulder, he'll feel Julio's hand drop to his upper arm, holding him a little bit more snugly than before. "/I'm/ only just learning who I am," he says, echoing Bobby's sentiment. "I had to put a lot of things on pause while I was just trying to survive; maybe that's why I worry that I'm difficult. I have so much I'm still figuring out, and I wish I could be a little more stable -- for you, for me, for everybody."

He laughs gently, then, and squeezes Bobby protectively. "I'm hard on myself because I can tell you deserve a catch, and if I don't make myself into one, where will I be?" He tips his head back and stares up at the sky. "And I absolutely will return the favor. Anything you want to complain about, anytime. You have got me on your side, no questions asked."

Bobby Drake has posed:
"Well, then I'm glad that I can be here with you while you figure that out," Bobby says as he rests his free hand on Julio's thigh just above his knee and gives it a little squeeze. "When you can finally let your life un-pause and not have to think about just surviving for a while. Where you can spend some time thinking about you and who you want to be."

"What I deserve is someone who wants to be with me. Who is honest with me. And who cares about me as much as I care about them," Bobby says. "The rest of it will sort itself out. But those are the important bits." He grins a little crookedly. "You may live to regret that promise. Just wait til the semester starts." His tone is light though, teasing.

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio shakes his head slowly. "You're not just here, Bobby," he says. "You're helping me figure things out, every time we're together. You think about things in ways I wouldn't. You listen, you ask questions, you care -- and it's not just about me, you're that way with people. Why do you think I like spending time with you so much?" He glances down at the hand on his thigh, then back up at Bobby, and raises his eyebrows a centimeter. "I mean... other than the obvious." He flashes a roguish grin, but lets his expression quiet back in to earnestness quickly as he turns to face Bobby more directly.

"As for the rest? Of course I want to be with you, and I can't imagine lying to you. I can say I care, but caring shows in how I treat you." His face fades into an expression of concern as he asks, "So watch that. Tell me how I'm treating you and how I can do better."

He pauses, then: "And if some kid is annoying you half to death? Let me at him. I'm not afraid to fight a kid, if that's what I have to do." He grins widely, then leans in to give Bobby another kiss, this one playful.

Bobby Drake has posed:
"I thought you liked spending time with me because I keep everyone cool in the summer and can re-chill your drinks," Bobby says, but he's clearly just playing. He straightens up a little bit and turns to face Julio, studying his expression. "Don't worry, I'll be honest with you, too." He laughs then and says, "I think I can probably handle the little kids. But I'm flattered that you would be willing to do battle on my behalf." He lightly cups the side of Julio's face with one hand, brushing his thumb lightly along his jaw, and leans into return that kiss. When it breaks, he's still grinning.

"So I think we're pretty solidly on the same page," he says as he regards Julio. "So tell me," he says after a moment's pause and looking thoughtful. "What's one thing that you've found out about you that surprised you since being here, in your quest of self-discovery?"

Julio Richter has posed:
"Not bad, but those are side benefits," Julio says dismissively. "If I'm seeing you for powers reasons, it has to be a ride on that kickass ice slide that I'm really after." He reaches over to give the curve of his forefinger an upward swipe under Bobby's chin: just a random little teasing gesture.

"Ah, the hard part there is picking one," he says in response to the question. "There are funny things, sad things, weird things, stupid things -- almost all of them surprises. But let's see..." He cocks his head to the side and gestures around them. "Here's one: if we're not on this nice peaceful roof, you meet me, I'm all punk rock and angry mutant politics and earthquakes, si? How much time do you think that guy spends meditating?"

He shrugs deeply. "De verdad: all the time. At least once a day, usually for at least 20 minutes. I mean, I'm not just sitting there, I'm listening to rocks and soil and that kind of thing, but I can do it for a long time and it's really fun."

Bobby Drake has posed:
"We can definitely do that sometime," Bobby laughs easily. He then tilts his head and his expression turns curious again when Julio mentions having so many things to pick from. At the one he chooses, he tilts his head and shrugs his shoulders, not really hazarding a guess. "I didn't know that you meditated so often. That's interesting. Especially if you can just feel the earth and everything around you while you do it." He then says, "I don't meditate at all. I never have. I literally can't figure out how to empty my mind. They always tell you to clear your mind, and I can't. I just end up thinking about clearing my mind."

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio laughs quietly and admits, "I mean, I'm kind of cheating when I do it. My mind is not clear; it's full of rocks and dirt and stuff. I might be getting a feel for stones I don't know yet, figuring out what the worms are planning... that sort of thing." He wears a little smirk. "Still doesn't really fit with my image. Not even the one I have of myself."

He shrugs, arm rubbing against Bobby's when he does so. "But I'm learning I didn't know myself very well when I came here. Or, not learning, tal vez. Deciding."

Bobby Drake has posed:
"I wonder if I could do it in the winter, or by the water. I can extend my senses out over the snow and ice like that, and feel through them," Bobby says thoughtfully. "Maybe it would help me to kind of just, find the zen of the snow or something." He grins a little crookedly and then shrugs his shoulders. "What image do you have of yourself?" he asks, studying Julio's profile. "You've definitely got a bit of a punk rock thing going on, at least on the surface at first glance."

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio smiles and leans into Bobby's side, snuggling up against him. Not so much for the warmth -- obviously -- as for the pleasant weight of him. "I mean, for one thing, if anybody ever asks, I wasn't meditating, I was rocking out," he answers. "And it's not just clothes, although the clothes are cool. I like the music and the screaming and the politics and the jumping around. Shake things up, right?"

He sweeps teasing eyes over toward Bobby. Iceman isn't the only one with puns.

"That's a good question, though. My home country sees me as a terrorist, my mom thinks I'm a monster now, your country took one look and decided I'm trash. I guess I brought all that into myself a little." He sounds uncomfortable, but tries to turn in a different direction: "Maybe that's why I like meditating. Rocks don't judge."

He thinks for a second, then says, "Maybe you should try it while we're on our trip; see what you hear. I don't know if snow has a zen, but it might make you feel better. It does for me."

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby leans back comfortably. While he's cooler than most people at a baseline, he's not cold to lean against, and he likes the closeness. He grins and confirms with a chuckle, "Totally not meditating; rocking out." He nods though, as he listens, curious to learn more about Julio and his perspective. He looks thoughtful as he explains the way that other people see him. "My brother called the cops when he found out that I was a mutant," Bobby says. "My family.." he shakes his head. "We don't talk anymore. Not since I came here when it came out. I'm sorry about your mom. I know how hard that can be, when your family doesn't accept you."

"You're not," he says quietly. "You're not a terrorist. You're not trash. You're not a monster. And I know that you know that. But sometimes it's good to hear it. You're just a guy who was born with abilities you had no choice over. Who and what you are is what you choose to do with what and who you are." He rests his head against Julio's shoulder and looks at the stars. "That's something that I had to remind myself of a lot, too."

"Maybe. Can't hurt to try. I do feel at peace in the water, and the ice, and snow."

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio just sighs at Bobby's reassurances. "I mean, de verdad: am I not?" He looks forward at nothing, narrows his eyes, and corrects himself: "Bien, OK, I'm not trash, and I'm pretty pissed off about that one. Your brother sounds like one of those kids I promised to beat up for you." From that determined peak, he sags slightly as he continues, "Or maybe I shouldn't. I don't know. I'm trying to /make/ them wrong -- prove that whatever they saw in my past, I can do better now."

He reaches over, just a bit, to grip Bobby's hand firmly in his own, and lift both up together. "I can do this," he says, uncertainly. "I can try to be with you, give you the acceptance that they should have." He tips his head to rest on Bobby's shoulder. "I'm not saying it wouldn't be fun to beat up your brother... but maybe this part is more important."

He puffs out a little breath of dry amusement. "This is probably that magic stuff messing with how I think. I just hope in a good way."

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby shakes his head a little bit and says, "It wouldn't solve anything, really. They are who they are. And I am who I am. And I have a family here who supports me, who taught me how to grow and become who I chose to be. They'll never understand or accept me, and that's okay. I accept me. And by being who I am, and proving them wrong every day -- that's my victory."

He smiles a little faintly, "Not that it doesn't still get to me from time to time. Not that I don't have my own issues and problems, but.. they aren't the ones that really matter." He smiles when Julio takes his hand, and squeezes Julio's in return.

"This part is the more important part," he agrees. "You being there for me, me being there for you. That's the strength that we need." Then he asks, "Which magic stuff? Your magic? Or.. something else?"

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio finds more confidence in his choice as Bobby talks through his path to self-acceptance, and continues sending the other man encouraging little squeezes through their clasped hands whenever he mentions the setbacks he has overcome. When Bobby finishes on a question, though, he lifts his head from his shoulder and laughs.

"Oh! I'm not being hypnotized or anything," he clarifies. "Lo siento, I was kind of vague there. I was thinking of how that weird night with the spirits of the cities ended... I had to face some really terrible moments in my past, and the bad choices I made. Then at the end, we had to make another choice: a kind of similar one, in a way. And I know it's not like I can take back what I've done, but it made me realize I /can/ make better choices right now, and in the future. That has been on my mind since then."

Still holding Bobby's hand in his left, he reaches across with his right to trace an invisible nonsense sigil below Bobby's knuckles with his fingertips. "So it's not that magic is affecting my brain, it's that the magic stuff is making me think about things in a different way. Just like you do." He turns to gives Bobby a quick kiss, just ahead of the earlobe. "That was one of those 'better choices' I'm making now, by the way," he says playfully. "Sit there stewing and waiting for someone to come swoop me up, or find that cute guy I met at the creek and ask him out."

Bobby Drake has posed:
There's a flicker of relief that crosses Bobby's features when Julio assures him that he wasn't being hypnotized or otherwise manipulated by magic. That's always a concern in this life that they lead -- there are a lot of weird forces out there. He smiles a little crookedly, "It's okay. I was just.. not sure what you meant." Then he's quiet as Julio continues to explain, brushing Julio's hand lightly with his thumb.

"That's a good perspective to have. We can't really change our past, but we can learn from it and choose to do things differently going forward." He nods his head. "That makes sense. And that /is/ a good thing."

He watches as Julio traces that little pattern on his hand, a small smile on his lips, lifting his head and looking over at Julio when he presses that kiss near his earlobe. His smile broadens. "I'm glad that you did. I'm not sure that I would have, not for a while, anyway. I'm not really good at actually making the first move."

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio's all too familiar with the potential for Xavierites to come under such psychic attacks. Just in the time he's been here, there have been mind erasures, soul theft, and memetic hypnosis. He might have to learn to phrase things more precisely so as not to worry people.

"Gracias... but my first instinct was still to punch your brother," he reminds Bobby when he applauds his perspective. A crooked smile rests on his features. "It's a process."

Julio echoes Bobby's broadening smile when they start talking about deciding to date each other. "I don't know if I'm /good/ at it," he says with a chuckle. "I was pretty nervous. I had to have a whole other thing I wanted to talk about first, and I had to make sure to catch you alone, and then I almost left without telling you I had just asked you on a date, until you kind of made me." He lifts his right hand to trace the side of his thumb across Bobby's jawline fondly. "It worked out great, but I wouldn't call the approach smooth or anything."

Bobby Drake has posed:
"It's alright. My first instinct sometimes is to punch people, too. Or freeze them in a block of ice. It's not always about what your first instinct is, but what you ultimately choose to do when it comes down to it," Bobby says with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't get upset and want to lash out still." His chill is not so great that it can't be shaken.

"At least you did something about it. I probably would have just kept flirting from time to time like I usually do and left it at that," Bobby admits. He lifts his chin when Julio traces the side of his jaw and smiles a little crookedly. "Smooth or not, it worked." He leans in then and presses a kiss against Julio's lips.

Julio Richter has posed:
"Sin mentiras: I would like to see what it looks like when you lose your cool, someday," Julio teases, as his fingers come to rest against the side of Bobby's neck. "And I hope you don't stop flirting from time to time; I like the way you flirt. Just don't leave it at that and we're good."

He grins, then Bobby leans in, making the first move toward a kiss, and Julio encourages him by lifting both hands to drift back behind the other man's ears and cradle the back of his head. He returns the kiss warmly, their lips brushing together before Julio's part slightly to invite a deeper meeting.