Honestly I never believed I would make it this far, yet here I am, standing in front of my mirror about to go through my morning routine for the last time as a student. After today I'm on my own. Free to go or do whatever I want. It's the day I've waited for since I arrived at this place. Not that I hate it here, because don't get me wrong this place saved my life, but it's time for me to move on. To get a life of my own. To be able to live in a house I actually worked for myself instead of one that was handed to me by Charles. This place has taught me everything I know about my mutation and how to control it, but I know I need to figure some things about for myself.

Well, I guess I'm not really on my own. There are a few others that are 'graduating' as you might say. A few of the girls on my floor and some other guys, all of which I've grown up with over the past few years, Alex being one of them. We've managed to find apartments pretty close to one another, and agreed to stay in touch as much as possible, but I'm a realist, and I know we won't be as close as we are now. People lose touch. They meet new people. It happens.

I have been worrying about what will happen with me and Alex though. We've been together for over 2 and a half years now so decided to get an apartment together. I know we only got together when we were young, but honestly I really do love him, and I know he loves me. A part of me just worries whether things will change when we leave. I mean, we've spent the whole of our relationship in school, not having to worry about anything except what to watch on movie night, but now we're going to be dealing with alot of bigger issues like bills and jobs. I know from experience what the stress of life can have on a relationship. But I can't worry about this now. I just need to get through today.

Once I'm finished getting ready, i head downstairs to find Alex waiting for me at the bottom. It's kind of been our little ritual since we got together. Even when we started sharing a room. Once we woke up in the morning, he would get up for his run while giving me an extra 20 minutes in bed and when I finally got up and went downstairs, he was there. Every morning. But today feels so much different, and I can tell from the look on Alex's face that he feels the same.

He sends a small smile to me as I walk down to meet him, and let's out a sigh as he holds out his hands towards me. I take them once I reach the bottom floor and stand on my tiptoes to place a kiss on his lips. As I pull away his forehead follows mine and presses against it for a few moments before pulling away to look at me.

"Hey." Was all he said. It was all he needed to say. We both knew what today was.

"Hi." Was all I said back.

We walked in silence to the kitchen, hand in hand.

When we got there, most of the others were already sat eating, including Charles. As we walked through the door, we were met with a few stares - most of them just casual and friendly like we got every morning, but a few were filled with the knowledge that this would be the last time that all of us would be sat around the same table. The Professor was one of the latter. No words were said between us accept the usual nod 'goodmorning' he always sent, and the smile Alex and I sent back in return. We didn't really need to say anything else. Not after the talks we all had last night.

It was kind of a well known tradition that every student who leaves the school has a talk with the Professor on their last night. Nobody really knows why, and the context is kept a secret until your time arrives to graduate. Honestly, I had been dreading mine for weeks. There were certain rumours that the talk was just a final excuse for Charles to test you had complete control of your abilities, and that if you somehow failed, you wouldn't be permitted to leave the premisses. I don't know why this scared me so much. It's not like I was a newbie when it came to mutation powers. Not to brag, but I'd been the top of pretty much all my classes since I arrived. A natural nerd. Alway had been, even before I found I was a freak. I would try to hide it at first, pretend that I wasn't a total smart ass. But Alex saw through that straight away.

I still remember one of the first days I arrived here. Alex had been living in the mansion for a couple months before me, so he was used to the whole training process. Our first class we shared was physical combat. We were paired together by chance and were given the task to try and pin one another down for atleast 5 seconds. When people began to notice who my partner was, they didn't hide their amusement or concern. I received a number of comments from my classmates that my petite ass wouldn't last 5 seconds against Alex and his 6ft wall of muscle. I'll admit it would be hard, but I knew it took more than weight to win a fight. Within 10 minutes I had Alex waving the white flag. I starting getting noticed a lot more after that. Nobody could figure out how I had won a fight with a guy nearly twice my size. They still don't. I could have told them that I won because of physics and that if you really knew your stuff, you could use a person's own body weight against them. But I was determined to reinvent myself. I had just discovered I had superhuman abilities, carted off to an elite boarding school 3 states away from home. Nobody knew me. I could finally be the popular girl that everybody loved. The girl that people didn't call a freak because of her insane knowledge of just about everything. It was kind of working too. Until Alex decided to take an interest in me and I got addicted to that stupid perfect smile of his. He sussed out who I really was straight away. He would tease me secretly for being a closeted nerd when I would solve problems 5 times faster than everybody else. Slowly but surely others started to notice too. At first I was afraid. Afraid that I wouldn't be accepted. Afraid that the last place I had left to be myself, I would be made to feel like a freak. But I had been wrong the whole time. Instead of the teasing and torment that I had gotten previously about my intelligence, I got admiration and acceptance. Alex helped me understand that I didn't have to hide who I was anymore. I got a similar message from Charles.

When I arrived to Charles's room last night, he sat me down in a chair in front of his fire place. I had been mentally preparing myself all day for any sudden test Charles would throw at me, and I think he could tell too by the constant glances I was throwing over my shoulder.

"Something wrong, dear?" He had asked me.

"Nope. All good." he just sent me a knowing smirk.

"I know the rumours that have grown over the years about what we're going to talk about. I assure you now, there will be no testing or last minute evaluation or sudden quick fire questioning about your power." At these words, I slumped into the chair, weeks of worrying evaporating off of my shoulders. Charles laughed at my sudden change of posture, and after a few moments, I joined him.

"So," I began, remembering that I had been called here for a reason that I still didn't know. "what do you want to ask me?"

"Nothing." My eyes widened in confusion before he held his finger up as a note that he wasn't finished explaining.

"Every year I watch people I've taught walk out those gates and never look back. Now I may be a professor, and you may be my students, but we are so much more than that. This place is so much more than that. Growing up, I never felt like I had a place to feel accepted for who I was or what I could do." I could relate to this on a personal level. "I was lucky. I was good at hiding myself. Blending in. Like you, my mutation was in my mind so I never had to worry about appearing physically different but that didn't stop me from feeling alone. Until I found others like me. People that saved me. People that would become my family. Raven and Hank. Even Alex." I smiled unintentionally at the mention of my boyfriends name. "And eventually you." I smiled even more at the idea that Charles thought so much of me. "I wanted to give others a chance to find a family, just like I did in you guys. Like you did in Alex. We spend years together. Training, growing, learning. I try to teach you everything I know before you all leave so that you can make a life out there for yourselves that you'll be happy enough with. A life that you all deserve. I wonder if I've done enough." He pauses for a brief moment, giving me a chance to chime in.

"You've done enough. You've done everything you could. What we chose to do now is up to us. Whether some of us become politicians or lawyers, or some just earn enough to live on as a cashier. Wherever we end up, it won't matter. Because we're alive. We're free to be ourselves. Everything we've fought for. Mutant's rights, they matter now. We matter now."

For a moment, Charles just stared at me, pride taking over his face, before the door began to open, his silent gesture that our talk was over and I could leave.

"You know I'm not supposed to have favourites, but when you give a speech like that it almost impossible not to imagine you one day taking my place as headmistress."

"What? That's it? But your talk..."

"The talk was never mine. It was yours, Y/N. And now you've given it, I know you're ready."

I didn't quite know what else to say, so I just stood up and walked towards the door, turning one last time before I left.

"Goodnight Professor Xavier."

"Goodnight, Y/N"

From what he had told me when I had gotten back to out room last night, Alex had a similar experience in the Professor's room too.

After realising that I'd just been stood in the entrance of the kitchen dazing into space, I was snapped out of my trace by the warmth of Alex's hand being placed on the small of my back, ushering me towards the two remaining chairs. When we sat down, I reached for a piece of toast as a cup of coffee was poured for me by the blonde boy.

"Thanks." I accepted the cup as his hand reached my other that was resting on my thigh. A small gesture, but one that meant everything. My favourite kind.

"So," My attention was turned to Hank, who had just finished shovelling what I expect to be at least his 5th slice of toast into his mouth. "Ready to be homeless?"

"Yep. See you're making the most of the free food before it's scraping together the last of your change for a can of cold soup?" Alex joked back. It was something we'd been doing to lighten the mood, joking that we were all going to be leaving and none of us having a clue how we were going to survive as adults instead of children like we had been for the past 3 years.

"Yeah well, at least I'm only looking after myself. Two mouths to feed, that's gonna be a struggle. I guarantee 70% of your muscle will be gone by Christmas. Who knows, maybe next time we see each other I'll be the one with abs and Y/N will be begging for a peak at them."

We all knew this was just friendly teasing, but it didn't stop Alex squeezing my hand slightly.

"Aha. Good one Hank, but I guess you haven't you seen his abs up close like I have. I don't think he could ever lose them. They're probably hardwired into his DNA." Alex breathed out a laugh.

"Oh, come on. Would't you rather have a big blue beast of a boyfriend over a sculpted man of muscle?"

"Oh, definitely." I chuckled at Hank. The three of us had always had a close relationship. People that didn't know us probably thought it was strange how we talked, as most of the time we were arguing or offending each other. But like they say, all families argue.

"They aren't that big anyway. It's probably just because it's always dark when you see them that you think they're bigger than they are."

I don't know why this caused my cheeks to heat up. It's not like I expected people to be oblivious to what goes on when a couple sleeps in the same bed, but something about Hank reminding the whole table over breakfast made me a little surprised.

Alex only chuckled at Hank, before standing up out of his chair. I turned to look up at him in confusion, just in time to see him lifting up his shirt high enough so that his bare stomach and all its abs in their glory were on display. He looked down at me with a wink before looking across the table at Hank with a cocky smirk playing on his face.

"It light enough for you to see them now?" He questioned, the whole table, including myself stunned into silence.

"Um... maybe. I can't tell. The windows are giving off a bad glare." Hank shot back in retaliation. Alex only laughed at his friends sarcastic humour before facing me once again. I was still staring at the exposed flesh right in front of me. I know after 2 and a half years you expect me to be used to my boyfriend's shirtless form, but I still find myself amazed by how beautiful the boy really was. My expression must have been clearly portraying my admiration for the boy, because the smirk that had been previously been sent to Hank was now delivered to me. The table returned to their own conversations as I finally snapped out of my trance. I reached up to finally pull Alex's shirt down. He followed the motion and took his seat next to me again.

After breakfast was over, Charles got everybody's attention.

"Okay everybody. I think it's about time we address what's probably been on all your minds this morning. Today will be the last time I see some of you as students. You'll walk out those gates with everything you've learnt over your time in this house. You'll be making your own lives. Your own choices." A young girl let out a little cry next to Hank. I know the two were close, Hank having become a sort of mentor to her when she first arrived. No wonder she was sad to see him finally leaving her after all this time.

"Now this isn't a sad time," Charles assured the girl before addressing all of us again, "and I have no doubt that you will all do great things as you begin to build your own homes and start your own families. " He looks briefly towards Alex and me before turning back to everybody else. Was that intentional or did I just imagine that? I look to Alex who just avoids my eyes any way he can. Strange. "But remember that you will always have a home and a family here with us."

Theres a moment of silence before Charles nods his dismissal and leaves the room, slowly followed by the rest of the table until it's just Hank, Alex and I left.

"Weird." Hank breaks the quiet. "That after today we aren't going to see each other. Not like this anyway."

"Don't go getting all soft on us Beast." Alex says as he stands up and takes both his and my cup to the dishwasher. "Don't try and pretend you're not going to be round at our place every week when you forget how to use a washing machine and have no clean underwear."

"A week? I'll last way longer without clean underwear than that. Ever heard of the inside out rule?"

"Eww. Okay stop. Both of you before I throw up." Both boys just looked at each other and laughed as I rolled my eyes and got up from the table.

"Anyway, don't think I'll be round at the love nest when I don't absolutely have to be. It's sickening how you make out with him right in front of me. Just to make me jealous. I mean come on, Y/N. It's not fair stringing Alex along like that."

"Oh hahaha. Very funny." I was expecting Hank to carry on the teasing, but the room went suddenly quiet. I caught Alex motioning towards the door at him, and furrowed my brows as I saw the brown hair boy raise his hands up in surrender and stand up from the table.

"Well, I should go finish packing. See you both later." He patted Alex on the shoulder before walking out of the room.

"What was all that about?" I turned so I was stood facing the suspicious looking boy. He just smiled at me in return and took a few steps so that we were only inches apart.

"Come on, let's go for a walk." He places a soft kiss on my forehead, takes my hand, and walks us both out of the kitchen and through the hall towards the doors that lead outside.

The gardens were always my favourite place. Mostly because the grounds of the mansion were so huge that it felt like you were in your own private forrest. You could just just walk and walk, getting lost in the woods and never reach the end. When I first arrived here, I used to come to the trees to think. It was always so calm. It was just me at first, then when we started dating, it was Alex too. We spent many nights just talking and walking, with no destination in mind. It became our place.

We came to a stop near a pond at the back of the building, hands still holding. Alex let out a breath it seemed like he had been holding since we got outside, then turned to face me. It was a few moments that we stood. Silently just looking at each other, before I went to speak. Before I could however, Alex pressed a finger to my lips.

"I'm sorry it's just. If you start talking now I might loose the nerve to do this. It's taken me all morning to think about what to say, and honestly I still have no clue so I'm just going to open my mouth and see what comes out." Oh no. What was about to happen? Was this his way of telling me he changed his mind about us living together? That he'd rather be on his own? I tried to speak again to ask what this was all about before he started again.

"From the minute you walked through those doors three years ago, I became obsessed with you. Everything you did and said just amazed me. I had never met anybody like you before and I could never understand how I could feel so much love towards one person. I still don't know now." I couldn't hold back the grin I was now showing at the things this boy was saying about me. "But what I did know is that I needed you in my life, Y/N. I knew that you would be the only one that could calm me down when I was about to explode. I knew any time I needed help that would would be the first one there to give it. I knew that you were all I needed to keep me alive. I knew that one day I was going to marry you." My breath hitched at the word Alex just used, and stopped all together as the boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. He dropped down onto one knee and opened the case to reveal a delicate ring of gold and diamond gleaming back at me.

"Now I've only ever seen this done in those chick flicks you make me watch so I hope this is how its supposed to go," I let out a laugh at the boys reference to all the times I forced him to sit through hours of soppy romance and emotional heartbreak and tears.

"I know that in a few hours, we're going to walk out of here and we aren't going to be kids anymore. We're going to have to make our own lives. The thing is, I just can't picture any life of mine that doesn't start with you. And I don't just mean as a girlfriend or a partner. I mean as my family. Someone with my last name, to have my children, to grow old with.So, Y/N Y/M/N Y/L/N, will you marry me?" I let tear slip down my cheek that I didn't know had been forming and nodded my head quickly as I tried to form the word I needed to say. The word I never knew had so much meaning until today.

"Yes."

Within seconds of the ring being being effortlessly placed onto my finger, my lips were on his. After a few seconds, we pulled apart just enough so that we could look at each other, our foreheads still touching.