As you walked back inside the school, Warren's footsteps echoing closely behind you, you couldn't help but think bitterly that Jean better have a good reason.

Well, not only a good reason, but a bulletproof one.

Because you could have been kissing Warren right now.

Instead, you were walking with him toward the room he shared with Scott, Kurt and Peter. A heavy silence surrounded you, filled with unsaid words and actions. A reminder of what could have happened if you hadn't been interrupted.

In your head, you had your arms around his neck and your body pressed against his. In reality, there was a huge gap between the two of you. And instead of being filled with desire and happiness, you only felt annoyance. Just like Warren. You only had to glance at him once to see it marked clearly across his face. You were pretty sure people could read the same expression off yours just as easily.

Just thinking that you could have been running your hands in his hair and tasting his lips instead of entering the large corridor with parquet floor that led to the older students' bedrooms brought a scowl to your face.

"What's going on with you two?"

Coming from a corridor to your right, Ororo fixed a dumbstruck gaze on you and Warren as she started to walk next to you. She was followed closely by Peter.

"Lover's stiff?" He teased. "Already?"

"You're a pain in my ass, Peter!" Warren growled with an exasperated look.

"Your kind words warm my heart," his friend answered with a smirk.

You rolled your eyes, but couldn't prevent a faint smile reaching your lips. Peter could be annoying, but he was also fun to hang around. Well, at least when he wasn't harassing you about a non-existent relationship.

You were nearing the bedroom when Ororo pondered out loud:

"I wonder why Jean called us."

"It better be good," Warren complained quite angrily as he reached the door to the boy's bedroom, almost bumping into Kurt, who appeared at the same time in a puff of black smoke.

The two boys exchanged a look. Menacing for Warren; uncomfortable for Kurt. You frowned. It wasn't the first time you witnessed such a strange interaction between these two and it made you wonder what it meant.

"Go ahead," Warren said to Kurt, his voice as hard as stone.

The blue-skinned mutant muttered a quick thank you before entering the bedroom, his tail swaying nervously behind him. When you looked at Warren, you saw the tension in his body and the way his feathers looked deadly still. You didn't have time to ponder on it as he entered the bedroom, followed by Peter and Ororo.

Inside the room were four beds and bedside tables, two closets and not much else. You glimpsed numerous dirty-looking clothes on the floor, a Bible on one of the nightstand and a few band posters above a bed on the opposite side of the room. And then, there were Scott and Jean, sitting on a bed in the far corner of the room, their back resting against a wall. They looked uncharacteristically happy.

"So, what's happening?" Peter asked as he lounged against the pillows at the top of the bed, next to Scott, and proceeded to rest his feet on his friend's thighs. "Did somebody die?"

Scott pushed Peter's feet away as he said: "We've got a problem."

His tone was serious, but the ghost of a smile on his face told a different story.

"What kind of problem?" you sighed, knowing fully well that the reason you had been brought here would be disappointing.

You took a seat on the bed that was in front of the one where Scott, Jean and Peter were sitting. Ororo and Kurt joined you while Warren slumped on a chair between the foot of the two beds and crossed his arms against his chest.

"Jean has never played Never Have I Ever!" Scott answered with an indignant look on his face. "We need to fix that immediately."

Silence fell on the room as everyone processed the news in astonishment. Then, finally, Ororo said out loud what everyone was thinking.

"Seriously?! You made us come in here for that?!"

"What? Don't pretend you have better things to do," Scott retorted. "We all get bored out of our minds in here."

Ororo rolled her eyes dramatically, looking exasperated. You shared her feelings.

You couldn't believe you and Warren had been interrupted for a stupid game of Never Have I Ever. You wanted to scream your frustration at Scott and Jean, but you didn't need to: Jean read it in your mind and, meeting your eyes, said in your head:

I'm sorry, he insisted.

She looked truly apologetic. You were about to answer back when Warren protested:

"You can't call us like that every time you want to play a fucking game, Scott."

There was so much anger and annoyance in his voice that you looked away from Jean to glance at him, sitting only a few inches from you. A frown on his face, he had the most murderous gaze you had ever seen.

"Everybody, chill out!" Peter chimed in, raising his arms to appease the protesters. "We're all already here, let's play this game."

Ororo groaned while Warren shook his head at his friend.

"What is the game?" a small voice said, breaking the tension.

Every gaze turned toward Kurt, making him look uncomfortable. Scott, a large smile spreading on his face, leaned forward to explain the rules to Kurt while Peter dashed out of the bedroom to get alcohol.

And just like that, it was settled.

You held back a sigh. You hated this game and the embarrassing confessions that came with it. And you couldn't help but dread what was going to be revealed. So, when Peter came back with three bottles of vodka, you felt your unease grow stronger.

"Let's play!" he roared as he handed glasses to the group.

Once everyone had a glass, Scott started.

"Never have I ever stolen anything!"

Ororo, Peter and Warren took a sip of their beverages at the same time, under the curious gaze of Kurt and Jean. Surrounded on both sides by Warren and Ororo, you could fell the tension exuding from their body. They really didn't want to play. Just like you.

Scott didn't seem to notice or even care. He was smiling at Jean.

"Your turn."

"Hm... Never have I ever cheated on a test."

This time, everyone drank, but Kurt. You grimaced when you felt the beverage touch your tongue and swallowed it as fast as you could without burning up your throat.

The game continued for a few minutes with a couple of simple questions. You drank only twice, whereas Peter and Scott were already starting their second glass, pushed by Ororo and Warren, who seemed to know exactly what to say to make their two friends drink. You almost started to enjoy this game. It was always fun to see a case of the biter bit.

"Never have I ever cheated at a bowling game," Ororo said when it was her turn again.

She gazed straight at Peter, who only grinned back at her.

"I'm just better at it than you!" he said, way too fast for you to be sure of what you heard.

His smug expression seemed to piss off Ororo, but she didn't say anything back.

"My turn! What can I ask?" Peter put his chin in his hand and pretended to think for a good minute. His cheeks reddened on his pale skin and you were starting to wonder if he was a little tipsy from all the alcohol he had already consumed. His glassy eyes rested on everyone in the room before stopping on you. You felt your pulse quicken. "Oh, I know! Never have I ever kissed someone in this room!"

You almost sighed in relief.

The look of surprise that crossed Peter's face when he realized neither you nor Warren were going to drink was the greatest victory you could ever ask for.

And then, from the corner of your eyes, you saw something you hadn't expected. Jean and Scott both took a sip of vodka. You turned abruptly your head toward them, staggered.

"Well, it wasn't what I was expecting, but I'll take it," Peter said, grinning.

Scott grinned back, looking as slightly drunk as the other mutant.

"When did it happen?" You asked Jean, smiling happily at her.

Even if you were still a bit mad about the whole situation, you were glad for Jean. She looked happy with Scott and it was good enough for you.

"30 minutes ago."

Her blue eyes sparkling, she let Scott pull her toward his chest and kiss her hair. You had to admit they were cute. Annoying. But cute.

"So, let me get this clear," Warren said, leaning forward. "You're finally able to kiss the girl you've been talking us to death about and, instead of doing that, you chose to bring us all in the bedroom to play this stupid game?" He raised one of his eyebrows. "What's wrong with you?"

"Warren's got a point!" Peter added while taking a gulp of his beverage. "If I could kiss a girl right now, I would throw you all out just to be alone with her."

Warren's gaze slide on you when he agreed with Peter. You felt a slight blush blossom on your cheeks and lowered your face.

Scott shrugged, probably too intoxicated to process correctly the situation and the game resumed. Kurt confessed, mildly embarrassed, he had never eaten an ice cream, and Jean and Scott said random things. You expected Warren to do the same, but he chose a different direction.

"Never have I ever slept naked in one of my roommate's bed without their consent."

Warren's blue piercing eyes were fixed on Peter, but even without that, you would have guessed this sentence was too specific not to refer to a particular situation and person. So, when Peter drank, you weren't surprised.

"Not cool!" he protested.

"Whose bed?!" Scott asked, suspicious.

Warren snorted. "Yours."

The look of disgust on Scott's face made everybody laugh.

"What the hell, Peter!"

It felt good to see everybody relax. Even Ororo and Warren seemed to be in a better mood after seeing Scott and Peter bicker for a good five minutes. When finally they stopped, Ororo asked if she could go next. You gladly skipped your turn to let her have the floor. You regretted it as soon as she started to talk.

"Okay, I have a good one. Never have I ever fantasized about anyone in this room."

Her sentence made your body froze, whereas your brain literally overloaded. In only one second, several thoughts and questions crossed your mind.

Should you tell the truth and drink? But what if you were the only one to drink? They would all look at you and know, if they didn't already, that you were crushing on Warren. Warren would know too. And if he didn't drink, it would be devastatingly embarrassing. But then, what if he did drink and you didn't? He would think you weren't interested. But you were!

You closed your eyes, pushed all those thoughts away and brought your glass to your lips. A quick sip and you opened your eyes again. Your cheeks reddening, you caught Scott and Jean lowering their arms; they drank with you. But they weren't the only ones. Peter and Warren drank too. It made your skin flush and your pulse race. Of course, you knew that even if Warren had just admitted to have fantasize about someone in this room, it didn't necessarily mean you were the one, but still there was hope. And when you looked at him and met his eyes, you knew without a doubt that he was as relieved as you were.

"Peter? Really?" Ororo's voice echoed in the room, turning every eyes on her. She was gloating. "Tell us more. Who do you fantasize about?"

Peter raised one of his eyebrows, looking as confident as ever.

"Well, who if not our angel boy over here!" he said, raising his glass to Warren. "I'm thinking about him day and night and I know I'm not the only one."

On these last words, he winked at you and then, smiled smugly at Ororo. The girl frowned, unhappy to see that even when she thought she had cornered Peter, he always seemed to find a way to wriggle out of it. You only wished he wouldn't throw you under the bus to save his own skin.

At this point, you thought you couldn't be more embarrassed, but you were wrong. Because Peter, obviously buzzed and wanting to get back at Ororo, said the one thing you dreaded:

"You know what, I think it's time to tackle the more important subject. Never have I ever attacked someone. Oh no, I did that. Never have I ever hurt someone, then." He stopped to think about it, his face lost in reflexion. "I might have done that too..." He stood silent for an eternity before his foggy brain found the one thing he didn't do that he knew Ororo did. "I know! Never have I ever killed someone!"

Triumphantly, he fixed his dark eyes on Ororo. Sick to the stomach, you vaguely heard her protest that Apocalypse didn't count and Peter replying to stop complaining and drink. You had the time to glimpse Ororo, Scott, Jean and even Warren moving to drink before you reluctantly joined them.

When you put your glass back on your thighs, you caught your friends staring at you with a mixture of surprise, unease and curiosity. You knew why. Ororo, Jean and Scott had drank because of Apocalypse. Warren had had no part in killing Apocalypse, but it didn't seem too surprising either that he had done something like that in his past; you just had to look at his wings to see how easily he could have hurt someone in his youth. But you, on the other hand, were a complete and utter surprise. An unsettling silence lingered over the group before Scott asked:

"Do you want to talk about it?"

The answer was no, but nibbling at your lower lip, you looked at your friends. Kurt and Scott looked intrigued, Peter looked like someone had thrown a bucket of ice water over his head and Ororo and Jean were smiling kindly at you. Not one of them was judging you. Even Jean, who had known about it for as long as you knew her had never judged you for it. It gave you the strength to take a deep breath and choosing to tell them the truth. It didn't give you the strength to look at Warren though. You didn't want to see the look on his face.

"It was an accident," you started, your voice slightly uneven. "It happened a few years ago, in school, when my power first appeared. I couldn't control it. I mean, not at all. I always made stuff explode and electrocuted every person I touched. And one day, I got really mad about something, I don't even remember what," your voice fell to a whisper. "And I made the generator of the school explode." You gripped the glass in your hands, the liquid trembling inside the container. "It was in the basement and it started a fire. The whole school had to be evacuated, but we learned, a few hours later, that the janitor got stuck in the room and that he was... killed by the fire."

A tear fell down your cheek and you wiped it off quickly. You didn't like to think about this, but at the same time, it felt good to have your friends finally know about it.

"Like you said, it was an accident," Peter began and then stopped, not knowing how to finish his sentence.

Instead, he smiled kindly at you while his eyes showed the remorse he felt.

Jean, Ororo, Kurt and Scott stayed silent, but they smiled at you too. It gave you the strength to look at Warren and the sympathy and understanding you saw in his eyes took your breath away.

Not one of your friend was looking at you any differently than before. It felt like a weight was being lifted off your shoulders. Especially considering this story had always been your greatest shame and burden. You had never talked about it to anyone. Only Jean had known and it was only because she had read it in your mind. Even the people at your old school had never known the truth of the death of the janitor, they had always believed it was an accident.

You smiled back at them, timidly. You just wanted to thank them and hug them.

"Okay, so it was a good game, but what about we get Kurt his first ice cream?" Scott offered.

Everyone seemed more than happy to move on, even you. You got up with the others, but never got past the door. While the others disappeared inside the corridor, Warren asked you to stay behind. You were both standing near the door when he said:

"I'm sorry this happened to you. I know it's not easy to live with that and even more to tell people about it."

You looked at the sadness on his features and felt a rush of affection for him.

"Thank you, Warren."

"I get it. I know how you feel. The others, they can't really comprehend it, they never..." He stopped to think about his words. "Apocalypse, it's different..." He scratched the back of his neck, his blue eyes boring into yours. "I just want to say I'm here if you ever need to talk about it."

You nodded, understanding what he meant. That even though the others had killed Apocalypse, they would never understand what it felt like to live with the knowledge you had killed an innocent person, someone human.

"Who was it for you?" you asked after a short hesitation.

You didn't know if Warren wanted to talk about it, but thought you should ask nonetheless. Only to give him the chance to share his story and his burden.

You saw worry fill his eyes and, for the first time since you met him, he looked uneasy. For a second, you thought he wasn't going to answer, but surprisingly he did.

"It wasn't just one person, but several." He sighed and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands. "Before I ended up here, before I even went with Apocalypse, I got stuck participating in cage fights in Germany. Mutants fought each other for the entertainment of humans," he explained, hints of anger and shame piercing in his voice. "We didn't have a choice. Either we fought or we were killed. So, I fought. It was brutal and bloody and sometimes, I had to hit hard." His shoulders tense, he was looking at the wall behind you, lost in memories he was the only one to know. "I can't tell you their names or even describe them to you. I don't even know how many I killed."

He blinked a few times before meeting your gaze again. His eyes were hesitant, just like yours must have been when you first looked at him after your own confession.

You took his hand in yours and let your warmth mingled with his.

"I'm sorry this happened to you too, Warren."

And you believed every word you said. You felt horribly bad for him, for what he had to endure, and you hoped this simple gesture could bring him some comfort.

"Thank you," he whispered finally, clutching your hand in his.