"Because..." Pietro faltered a moment, trying to think of how to say the next few words but instead he ended up blurting out at super speed, "Cuz we're friends, obviously, and that's what friends do. Watch out for each other and whatever-now get out here" he smiled and offered his hand to her, "you haven't even touched your sushi and I'm not leaving until you've eaten! You'll never get rid of me"

"You're a bad liar. That's no what you wanted to say.... You're left eye always darts back and forth slightly when you lie." She looked down.

Pietro's hand slowly fell, "a-but-no it doesn't!" he protested, "I'm totally telling the truth, how dare you call me a lair-you're a liar you lair" he pouted.

Ciara smiled sweetly tilting her head to the side, "You're lying again... Tell you what. You tell me the truth and I'll eat the food you brought."

"Hmf. Fine." Pietro leaned against the wall, "I love blueberry pancakes, there's a truth for ya"

She huffed, getting up and marching over to her bed and flopping down, "First you lie to me and now you're avoiding the subject." Now Pietro was acting weird. Was he not the real Pietro? Had they brought someone in like Mystic. She already was having trust issues...

"Damnit ciara, it's not a good time for this" Pietro sighed, "Can't we just... hang out?"

"And when was the last time there was a good time in my life to talk about stuff? I can't even remember a time where I wasn't running around, doing this, doing that. Saving these peoples, in a hospital bed, being brainwashed. Having you around was the only good times where time seemed to pause and now you're avoiding something! Is something wrong? Did someone die? Are you even Pietro?" She demanded.

"Woah-what?" Pietro raised his hands in defense, "nothing's wrong! No one's dead! Well okay, there's a lot of dead people in the world but no one that we know recently-that's besides the point-Of course I'm Pietro! You heard my heartbeat, that's not something Mystique can imitate" he walked over to her, "and... it's just... it's not that I'm... keeping something... just..." he sighed, his shoulders sagging as he looked at the floor, "you know what happened last time one of my secrets got out... I'm still getting used to how everything's changed and, well, I'm not sure I'm willing to risk that again."

Ciara moved closer to me, sitting on the side of the bed, she lifted his chin up. "I understand." She gripped his chin, pulled him forward so that she could kiss his cheek. Not just his cheek, but the part right before his lips. "One day when you tell me your secret... I'll let you know mine." She blushed before leaning back against the pillows.

Pietro's cheeks flushed a little and he cleared his throat awkwardly, "um... hem... well then-you still haven't eaten" he poked at her, "and like I said, I'm not leaving til you do"

She crossed her legs and smiled. "Alright." She opened her mouth and waited after a moment she looked at him. "You wanted to play Doctor... And your patient won't eat unless you feed her." She stuck out her tongue playfully.

"Hmm, touche" Pietro smiled again and hopped onto the bed with her and the tray between them. He picked up the chopsticks and began to feed her.

She couldn't stop smiling the entire time they ate. She sat, wiggling her leg on the side of the bed with each bite. "Mmmmm <3. You really know how to spoil a girl." She picked up the other part of chopsticks from the bag and held a piece up. "Have to keep up your strength, Dr. Speedy.

Pietro chuckled and ate what she gave him, "mmmm, sushi's one of the only things that actually fills me up for awhile."

"Really? Must be the rice... Expands in your stomach making you fuller... I've found since my near drowning experience in Atlantis I've been craving more for fish... Turns out that I can't drown. My body puts me in a coma like state, all my freckles actually take air and nutrients from the water. But once I'm out of the water, I need someone to revive me." She paused, "It's something I learned while Sinister was doing experiments on me...

"oh..." Pietro shifted awkwardly, "well..." he raised a piece of sushi, "Here's to better futures"

"To better futures!" She hopped over and bit the piece out of his chopsticks before flopping her head in his lap. She wiggled. "MmmmmmmM! Soooo good. I love-" Her expression froze as she caught herself in mid sentence. A bit of panic on her face...that you brought me food. When I'm healthy enough to leave here, I'm going to make you a proper sushi dinner. I learned how to roll them." She smiled, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Seriously? That sounds awesome" Pietro grinned.

((Skip?))

((Sure. Where to?)

Pietro continued to visit Ciara, always being the one to bring her food and to just be there while they had to run a few tests to make sure she was healthy.

A few more weeks passed by and things were finally going well. Scott was on his way back home for the night when something caught his eye. There had been a man in a cloak watching him the past few days, but whenever Summers went to investigate he had vanished into the crowd. Now that man stood, speaking with someone in the market instead of watching out for Scott.

Scott approached the man, crossing his arms, "You want to explain yourself?" He asked slash demanded.

The man froze for a moment, before turning his head slightly to look at Scott. It just took one glance of his face to recognize one of Sinister's disguises-Nathaniel Essex. Instantly he bolted down the street.

'You bastard.' He thought, racing after him. "STOP!" He boomed. Quickly he tapped his ear com, "Emma, Code 10977. Lock down the island. He's here..."

"On it" Emma replied instantly, getting to work. A moment later the island's security systems were running sirens and flashing lights. Any and all tv and computer screens turned on with Sinister's face showing.
"Alert. Dangerous mutant spotted" the alarm blared, "Everyone please stay inside."

The streets immediately began to clear, Nathan tried to slip into a building here or there but no one would let someone they didn't know inside so he was forced to keep running. The x-squad soon joined Scott on the chase-except Pietro who was likely still with Ciara.