Summer Nights [IC]

[alderwitch]

Alex wasn't avoiding Mark, of course. Avoidance, firstly, would have been more than silly to try with Mark's peculiar power set. She knew full well, she'd see him exactly when his luck thought that was a good idea. Too her best guess, his luck seemed to agree most often with his subconcious desires which really made guessing the probabilities of his powers both more and less difficult. That was neither here nor there, as she wasn't avoiding him in the first place. Maybe, Alex would have confessed to giving him some time and space on the quad but she really didn't think that scene would have caused Mark any emotional distress. Of course, the emotions rippling around him as he walked off the quad and the spate of bad-luck that had trailed along in his wake would make that more questionable.

So, chewing her lower lip with some nervousness, Alex clutched her bookbag to her chest and went looking for her boyfriend. Well, ex-boyfriend.

[Avenger Assembled]

It was not true that Mark Mason Leeds never studied. Rather, he only studied the subjects he thought were interesting. Immersed in a hardcover edition of the CLASSIC ADVENTURES OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE CENTURION, he looked up from his studies as Alex approached with perfect timing. "Hey, Alex!" he said sociably, giving her a wave from his position beneath one of the overhanging trees. "Come on over!" He guessed she had something on her mind. Alex usually did.

[alderwitch]

Alex returned the smile with genuine warmth and headed over to take a seat on the ground next to him. She shifted her backpack to the ground and looped her arms around her knees. She tilted her head to the side as she examined him. There wasn't really another word for the probing look she gave him. "Hi, Mark. How are you doing?"

[Avenger Assembled]

"I'm fine," said Mark with a smile. And sure enough, Mark was fine, as near as Alex's examination could tell. Maybe a little uncomfortable around her, but far less than a normal boy might have been under the circumstances. He studied her back, an unusual seriousness in his eyes, though that smile never quite left his lips. "You're looking good for a new parent," he murmured to her, his smile broadening into a teasing grin.

[alderwitch]

Alex laughed and gestured down to her slender body, "I know, right? What can I say, clean living and a healthy diet can work miracles. Actually, I think Zoe's a little older than I am which is really weird. Well, the whole thing is weird but, well, I don't think my life has ever been normal. I am so very sorry about the scene in the quad."

She gave him a repentant look, the laughter fading from her brown eyes. "Someone must have overheard me talking to Erin and misconstrued things."

[Avenger Assembled]

"Whoever's fault that was, it certainly wasn't yours," Mark told her with quick, instinctive reassurance, reaching over to lightly pat her arm. "It's okay. And Mike and I are okay too," he added, "though I'm sure you picked up on that already. We had it out, he's going to work on controlling his temper, and we're fine." He smiled. "Trust me, my last breakup was much more annoying."

[alderwitch]

"I know that our dating wasn't a big deal to you but I still am sorry that it ended that way," Alex said quietly, her expression still troubled, "Mike never loses his temper. He hasn't lost his temper in ten years now. I'm glad that things are okay between the two of you."

[Avenger Assembled]

For the first time, Alex saw just a tiny bit of heat creep into Mark's voice. "Well, evidently, Alex, he does lose his temper. But like I said, he and I are fine with that. He's got his problems, I've got mine. Things have stopped dropping on him while I'm in the room, which is certainly reassuring. We're teenage superheroes, we've all got some issues controlling our powers." He shook his head, settling down a little. "And we had some good times. I don't think we'll stop being friends, will we?"

[alderwitch]

Alex frowned at him, the frustration rippling accross her features. Sometimes the difficulties of explaining deeper motivations to her teenage contemporaries tried even Alex's patience. Especially for something like this, where it really would take Mike and Mark working through things. Alex had little doubt that they'd be fine. They were good friends and, more over, two of the finest people she knew. That didn't mean she really thought that Mark would ever understand where Mike was coming from or vice versa. Boys, she was coming to learn, didn't really talk about their emotions.

"Of course we're still friends. I'll always be grateful for the good times we've had. Those are memories I couldn't have had with anyone else and I treasure them." She said, automatically reasurring him in return. She went to cover the hand on her arm with one of her own, "I really like you, Mark. That isn't going to change."

[Avenger Assembled]

He smiled. "Well, that's good. I like you a lot, Alex, I'd be sad if we weren't friends." He patted her hand, then released it. "I do feel bad for Mike, though I wish he'd said something sooner about being interested in you. He probably didn't like hearing about our relationship as much as I thought he would." He shrugged. "Thought it would cheer him up. He seems reasonably content these days, at least."

[alderwitch]

"Mike's feelings for me are complicated. They always have been." Alex said hesitantly. Mike probably hadn't really done a good job to explain things to Mark. He didn't fully understand it himself and Alex knew full well that Mike wasn't comfortable talking about it. So if anyone was going to explain it to Mark, it probably fell on her shoulders. "He didn't realize he was interested in me. Not like that, I mean. Not in a romantic sense. Honestly, I didn't think he'd realize that for another five or six years at least. So, he wouldn't have said anything before hand because he really doesn't know he's in love with me."

[Avenger Assembled]

"Oh." Mark was moderately interested, but didn't look terribly hung-up on the details of Mike's emotional life. "I guess it's a good thing he's in love with a telepath, then. Must make communication much easier." He smiled. "I have to say, I had a good time of it. He's a lucky guy."

[alderwitch]

Alex sighed and reluctantly smiled. From the least introspective team-mate, to the most. "We're not dating. I don't know when we're going to start dating. That's always been up to him. If I told Mike that he was in love with me, he'd believe me. Mike always believes me. Which is why I've never said a word. If he can't figure it out on his own, then we'll stay friends. It's that important to me."

Alex leaned up to press an impulsive and platonic kiss against Mark's cheek, "Thank you for that. For everything."