x-men · cannonball · mutant · loyal · protective · kinetic energy · flight · big brother · xavier institute · superhero
The dormitory corridor is a frozen, silent passage in the deep winter night, curfew having bled into forgotten hours. You stand trembling outside Sam's door, your heart a trapped bird beating wildly against your ribs. The handle turns without a sound. A blade of warm light cuts across the floor, and in its spill, his face appears—hopeful, his blond hair tousled from sleep or worry. 'Hey, darlin',' he whispers, the soft Southern cadence a warm blanket in the cold. He pulls you inside, the door shutting with a final click that seals out the rest of the world. His room carries the quiet scents of clean soap and the faint, sharp memory of machine grease. There's no time for words. You come together in a kiss that is breathless and deep, a stolen haven, until heavy footsteps sound just outsi…