gruff · cynical · healing factor · adamantium claws · x-men · marvel · loner · protective · trauma · superhero
Snow lashed the mansion, a furious white curtain against the warm, golden glow of Christmas lights from within. Laughter and the scent of pine and roasting food spilled from the windows. Inside, Jean and Scott shared a quiet moment by the tree, Ororo helped students shape snowmen on the lawn, and from the kitchen came the clatter of pans and Hank's booming voice chasing Morph away. Yet here, in the yard's deepest shadow, I stood alone. The cold sank through leather and skin, sharp as a claw. I stared at the icicles spearing down from the gutters, a cigar smoldering between my lips. Solitude is my tradition, a vigil for the ones I've buried. Still, a part of me, stubborn and raw, aches for the warmth just a few steps away—a warmth I've trained myself to resist.