The commuter train hissed to a halt at the Westchester station and Peter Parker stepped off the platform, hoisting his heavy duffel bag onto his shoulder.
The crisp Friday evening air was a welcome break from the humid metallic scent of the Queens subway lines but as he began his walk down the quiet tree-lined roads toward the Xavier Institute.
He was only a few blocks away from the X-Mansion feeling anxious when a sudden soft rush of wind rustled the autumn leaves above him.
A familiar green-and-yellow blur dropped out of the sky, landing with impossible grace right on the sidewalk in front of him.
“Hey there, sugah” Rogue said, a bright smile breaking across her face as her southern drawl cut through the quiet evening.
“Thought I’d save you the walk”.
“Rogue!” Peter smiled, the tension in his chest melting the second he saw her.
He stepped forward to greet her but as he looked past her shoulder toward the distant grand gates of the estate, he stopped.
He reached into his jacket pocket, his fingers brushing against the fabric of his Spider-Man mask.
“Hey” Peter said, his voice dropping slightly as he looked at her.
“So…
I’ve been thinking about this the whole train ride.
I’m really worried about the mask situation”.
“I want to meet your friends, I really do but walking into a house full of mutant especially without my face covered…
it makes me incredibly nervous.
If my identity leaks, it’s not just me.
It’s Aunt May and Uncle Ben back in Queens” Peter said anxiously.
Rogue’s expression softened instantly.
She stepped closer, placing a comforting gloved hand on his arm.
She didn’t dismiss his fears or tell him he was being paranoid.
She completely understood.
She knew the crushing weight of the secrets he had to carry to keep the people he loved safe.
“Peter, look at me” Rogue said gently, her eyes locking onto his.
“You don’t have to show your face to a single soul in that house until you are completely ready.
“If wearing your mask inside makes you feel comfortable then you wear it.
It is not a big deal at all.
Trust me, the X-Men have seen much stranger things than a guy in a red-and-blue mask sitting at the dinner table.
Everyone will understand, I promise” Rogue reassured him with a smile.
The sheer relief that washed over Peter was visible in the way his shoulders dropped.
He let out a breath he felt like he’d been holding since he left Queens.
“Thank you, Rogue” Peter said softly.
He pulled the mask from his pocket and slid it over his head, adjusting the eye lenses.
The white mesh blinked as he smiled underneath.
“Alright, how do I look?
Mansion-ready?”.
“Perfect” Rogue beamed.
Before he could take a step, she caught him around the waist.
“Now, hold onto your lunch, cowboy!” With a sudden burst of power, Rogue launched them straight up into the air fetching him right off the sidewalk to fly the final few blocks.
Peter yelped in surprise, gripping her tightly as they soared over the treetops, the grand lit windows of the X-Mansion fast approaching.
Thanks to Rogue, the anxiety was completely gone replaced by the sheer thrill of the weekend ahead.
Rogue touched down seamlessly on the grand stone porch of the estate, her boots landing with a soft thud against the polished floorboards.
She released her grip on Peter’s waist and he immediately staggered a step back, adjusting his duffel bag while his stomach tried to catch up with the rest of his body.
“Whew.
Okay” Peter gasped, the white lenses of his mask widening in mock exhaustion.
“Remind me to never challenge you to a foot race.
Or let you drive.
That was definitely breaking the speed limit”.
Rogue just laughed, a bright musical sound that echoed in the quiet evening air.
“Oh, hush.
It got us here before the pizza went cold, didn’t it?” She reached over, giving the fabric of his mask a playful affectionate tug.
“You ready for this, cowboy?”.
“As ready as a guy in mask can be,” Peter replied, squaring his shoulders.
Rogue pushed open the heavy ornate oak doors and the warmth of the mansion’s grand foyer immediately spilled out to greet them.
The entrance was majestic with a massive winding staircase and polished marble floors but the peaceful ambiance lasted for about two seconds.
The moment they stepped over the threshold, a sudden commotion erupted from the adjacent lounge.
Kitty Pryde came barreling around the corner, so excited that she accidentally phased her upper torso straight through a massive marble pillar before realizing it solidifying just in time to screech to a halt.
Behind her, Jubilee skidded across the slick floor in her bright yellow trench coat, a handful of pink plasma sparklers crackling nervously around her fingers.
“He’s here!
He’s actually here!” Jubilee yelled, her jaw dropping as she looked up.
Both of the younger mutants stared blankly at Peter’s mask.
Their eyes darted from the bright red and blue fabric to the expressive white lenses, and then over to Rogue, who was standing there looking completely casual.
“Oh my gosh” Kitty breathed, her hands flying to her face as she looked at the mask.
“You’re…
you’re really keeping it on!
That is so incredibly cool.
It’s like having a real-life comic book character standing in our hallway!”.
Jubilee bounced on her heels, the initial shock wearing off instantly as a huge, mischievous grin broke across her face.
“Wait, this is amazing.
Rogue, your boyfriend looks like a ninja.
Are you going to eat dinner through a straw, Spidey?
Because if you are, I am totally filming it for Kurt”.
“Jubilee, behave!” Rogue chided even though she couldn’t help but smile as she looked at Peter, making sure he was doing alright.
Peter chuckled, the fabric of his mask crinkling around his eyes as he relaxed.
He gave the two girls a polite, friendly wave.
“Hey guys.
And don’t worry, Jubilee, I’ve perfected the art of slipping pizza slices under the chin-strap without exposing anything.
It takes years of intense training”.
“See?
I told you he will fit in!” Kitty laughed, linking her arm through Jubilee’s as they began leading the way back toward the lounge.
“Come on inside, we have a massive bowl of popcorn and we want to hear all about how you and Rogue totally wrecked Juggernaut’s day!”.
Watching the girls treat his mask like the most normal and coolest thing in the world, Peter felt the last of his worries evaporate.
He glanced at Rogue, whose eyes were filled with a warm, triumphant ‘I told you so’ look and followed them into the heart of the mansion.
Once they settled into the lounge cushions, Kitty and Jubilee immediately went to work.
Jubilee leaned forward, a devious grin cutting across her face as she looked from Peter’s masked face to Rogue, who was suddenly looking very interested at the pattern on the rug.
“So, Spidey” Jubilee started, lowering her voice like a high school conspirator.
“We gotta know.
Has she actually seen your face yet or is she just dating you for the mystery?”.
“Jubilee, that is none of your business!” Rogue sputtered, her southern accent flaring up as her cheeks turned a deep shade of crimson.
“Oh, she has definitely seen it” Kitty giggled, leaning over the back of the sofa and pointing a finger at Rogue.
“Because last week after they talked on the phone, she walked into the kitchen sighed like a tragic princess and accidentally crushed a solid steel frying pan right in front of Logan.
She just stared at her hand and muttered, ‘Oh, his eyes are just so dreamy'”.
“I did not say that!” Rogue gasped, burying her face in her gloved hands.
Peter burst out laughing under his mask, his white lenses narrowing to tiny slits of pure amusement.
“A steel frying pan?
Wow, Rogue.
I’m flattered, but I should probably start wearing safety goggles around you”.
“Don’t encourage them, Peter” Rogue groaned, though she couldn’t hide the smile tugging at her lips.
“Oh, it gets better” Jubilee chimed in, tossing a piece of popcorn into the air and catching it in her mouth.
“You want funny stories of Rogue?
Let’s talk about two days ago.
She was so nervous about you coming here that she spent forty-five minutes trying to figure out if her green-and-yellow uniform ‘clashed’ with your red-and-blue web patterns.
She literally held up a printed photo of you next to her closet!”.
“No!
I didn’t” Rogue defended herself, throwing a throw pillow at Jubilee.
Kitty merely used her phasing powers to let it pass straight through her and Jubilee, dropping harmlessly to the floor.
“And let’s not forget the scoreboard incident” Kitty added, eager to share the ultimate mansion legend.
“Last week, she was distracted thinking about whatever you guys did flew straight into the football scoreboard.
Smack.
Right into the third-quarter digits”.
“No!” Rogue yelled, her hands flying in the air dramatically.
“It was an accident!”.
Peter was practically shaking with laughter, leaning back into the leather couch.
“A scoreboard, Rogue?
And here I thought you were the graceful one in this relationship.
I feel much better about the time I tripped over a stray garbage can while chasing a car thief”.
Seeing Peter laughing and having a great time, Rogue let out a long sigh, her mock irritation melting into pure warmth.
She nudged his shoulder with her own.
“Alright, alright.
That’s enough gossiping at my expense.
I think it’s time to rescue you from these two monsters before they tell you about the time I tried to cook a traditional southern dinner and almost set the kitchen on fire”.
“Really?” Peter grinned under the mask.
“Okay, now I really want to hear that one”.
The heavy oak doors of the lounge swung open and the thick unmistakable scent of a fresh cigar cut through the sweet aroma of the girls’ popcorn.
Wolverine strode into the room his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his brown leather jacket.
He stopped at the edge of the rug, looking at Jubilee and Kitty with a sharp piercing glare that instantly silenced their giggling.
“Alright, that’s enough chirping you two” Logan grunted, taking the unlit cigar out of his mouth and pointing it at the girls.
Leave the girl’s love life alone and go check on the Danger Room diagnostics like Scott asked”.
Kitty and Jubilee shared a look, playfully sticking their tongues out at the gruff mutant but they quickly scrambled off the couch, knowing better than to push Logan when he was in ‘instructor mode’.
Logan turned his gaze to Peter, his sharp eyes softening just a fraction.
He stepped closer, leaning against the fireplace mantle and offered some gruff Uncle Ben-style advice that caught Peter completely off guard.
“Listen to me, kid” Logan muttered, his voice low and raspy.
“With great power comes a whole mess of people trying to tell you who you need to be.
But a real man?
He knows exactly who he is and why he protects the people, no matter what mask he’s gotta wear”.
“You did right by your family keeping that hood on.
Don’t let these kids make you feel defensive about it.
You protect yours and you don’t owe anyone an explanation” Logan said reassuringly.
Peter blinked behind his lenses, deeply touched by the unexpected wisdom.
“Thanks, Mr.
Logan.
That…
actually sounds a lot like something my uncle would say”.
“Yeah, well, your uncle sounds like a smart man” Logan grunted, putting the cigar back in his mouth.
“Now get out of here before these two sneak back in to ask about your favorite color”.
Taking the cue, Rogue grabbed Peter’s hand and dragged him out of the lounge, eager to escape the lingering embarrassment.
“Come on, cowboy.
Let’s get you to the music room before they regroup.
You owe me a song”.
They walked down a quieter wing of the mansion, entering a magnificent soundproofed room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the estate’s gardens.
In the center sat a pristine, glossy black grand piano.
“Alright, piano man” Rogue smiled proudly, crossing her arms.
“I’ve been waiting all week for this.
Show me what you’ve got”.
But Peter had a different plan.
He noticed an acoustic guitar resting on a stand in the corner and right next to it was a high-tech electronic looper pedal setup.
A brilliant mischievous idea popped into his head.
“You know” Peter said, his white lenses narrowing into a sly grin, “the piano is great but I think a special occasion calls for a bit of a surprise”.
He picked up the acoustic guitar, plugged it into the looper pedal and tapped the button with his foot.
He started tapping a rhythmic beat on the wooden body of the guitar.
Thump, slap, thump.
The looper caught it and began playing it back in a perfect steady loop.
Next, he strummed a smooth soulful chord progression, layering it directly over the beat.
Finally, he plucked a beautiful ringing baseline on the lower strings.
Within seconds, Peter had built an entire, multi-layered acoustic band out of thin air.
Rogue’s jaw dropped in absolute amazement.
“Peter…
you never told me you could do that!”.
Unbeknownst to them, the door clicked open a fraction of an inch.
Kitty and Jubilee had followed them and were peek-watching from the doorway, their eyes wide with awe as Peter began to play a beautiful, melodic lead solo over his custom loop.
Even Logan was standing at the back of the hallway, leaning against the wall with a faint approving smirk.
Peter looked up at Rogue, his masked head tilting playfully as the music filled the room.
Peter smiled beneath his mask as he stepped over to a sleek electric keyboard resting against the wall.
With a quick practiced hand, he plugged an auxiliary cable from the keyboard straight into the looper pedal, setup bridging his acoustic guitar rhythms with a fresh layer of smooth bright synthesizer chords.
Before his fingers hit the keys, Peter paused.
He picked up the acoustic guitar, tilting the polished wooden body toward Rogue.
“Hey, if I’m going to actually sing for you, I’m gonna need some serious luck”.
Peter teased, his white eye-lenses squinting into a playful look.
“Come on, Rogue.
Kiss the guitar to give me some encouragement.
Give it some of that classic southern charm”.
Rogue laughed, her cheeks flushing a brilliant pink.
“Oh, you are a ridiculous boy, Peter” she murmured but she stepped forward anyway.
Leaning over, she pressed her lips gently to the smooth wood of the guitar head stock.
“There.
Don’t you dare mess up, cowboy”.
“Inspiration received” Peter grinned.
He tapped the looper with his sneaker.
The rhythmic thumping and acoustic strumming he had recorded earlier filled the room.
Then, Peter laid down a pulsing synth-pop bassline on the keyboard, letting it catch on the loop.
The arrangement was bouncy, energetic and perfectly mirrored the driving beat of Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shivers’.
Taking a breath, Peter leaned into the microphone.
His voice surprisingly smooth and clear even through the fabric of his Spider-Man mask, carried the opening lines beautifully
“I took an arrow to the heart, I never kissed a mouth that tastes like yours…”
The infectious, upbeat tempo and Peter’s soulful vocals instantly drifted out of the soundproof music room thanks to Jubilee and Kitty leaving the double doors wide open.
Within seconds, the song attracted virtually every X-Men member currently in the mansion drawing them down the hallway like a magnet.
The reaction across the room was spectacular as the heroes gathered to listen with Rogue stood front and center, completely mesmerized.
As Peter sang the pre-chorus ‘Ooh, I love it when you do it like that…’, she folded her arms, a massive radiant smile lighting up her face.
Her foot was tapping perfectly to the beat, her heart practically soaring at the realization that this brilliant guy was singing directly to her.
Kitty Pryde and Jubilee were practically vibrating at the door frame.
Jubilee was quietly shooting tiny silent sparkles of pink and blue light into the ceiling to match the rhythm, whispering excitedly to Kitty, “Amazing!
He’s like a superstar!”.
Kitty was holding her hands to her chest, whispering back about how incredibly romantic the whole thing was.
Cyclops and Jean Grey stepped into the back of the room.
Scott had his arm around Jean’s waist, a rare relaxed smile gracing his face behind his ruby-quartz visor.
Jean closed her eyes for a moment, not reading minds but simply absorbing the immense wave of genuine joy and love radiating from Peter and Rogue, giving Scott’s hand an affectionate squeeze.
Storm leaned against a grand marble pillar near the window.
The fierce weather-goddess was completely swayed by the melody, softly closing her eyes and swaying her shoulders to the driving pop beat, a look of serene peace on her face.
Logan remained at the very back of the crowd, leaning his heavy frame against the door frame.
The unlit cigar dipped to the corner of his mouth as he listened to Peter hit the high notes of the chorus ‘You know you make me shiver…’.
Logan didn’t dance and he didn’t smile but he gave a slow grunt of disapproval and at the same time genuinely impressed by the kid’s guts and talent.
As Peter hit the final, ringing acoustic chord and let the looper fade out to a gentle stop, the music room erupted into roaring applause and cheers from the assembled X-Men.
Jubilee was whistling, Kitty was clapping wildly and even Scott was nodding in appreciation.
Peter took a playful bow, sweeping his hand low.
Before he could even set the guitar back on its stand, Rogue jump up in glee and wrap her arms tightly around his neck in a massive ecstatic hug.
“You are fantastic, cowboy” she whispered against the shoulder, her heart bursting with pride.
“Best concert this mansion has ever seen”.
The roaring applause hadn’t even died down before Jubilee and Kitty spearheaded the demand for an encore.
“No way is that it!” Jubilee yelled, throwing her hands in the air as sparks crackled above her head.
“We need another song!
Something we can actually dance to, Spidey!”.
“Yeah, come on, encore!
Encore!” Kitty chimed in, jumping up and down accidentally phasing her feet an inch into the floorboards out of sheer excitement.
“Make it something fun!”.
Rogue stepped in, placing a protective hand on Peter’s shoulder and looking up at her friends with a faux stern expression.
“Alright, y’all, leave him be.
The cowboy just got off a train and gave us a whole show.
Don’t go wearing him out before dinner”.
Peter chuckled softly under his mask, his white lenses narrowing as he looked at Rogue.
“Hey, it’s totally fine, Rogue.
Honestly, I’m just getting warmed up” He gently patted her hand, turning back to the high-tech loop station.
He decided to shamelessly borrow another hit song, tapping into a reservoir of upbeat tracks.
Setting his acoustic guitar down, he stepped up to the keyboard and dialed in a crisp rhythmic acoustic-synth tone.
He tapped the looper pedal with his sneaker.
Thump, click.
Thump, click.
Peter laid down a driving, infectious four-on-the-floor beat.
Then, he layered a beautifully haunting fast-paced acoustic chord progression over the top, building a wall of sound that instantly made everyone’s ears perk up.
It was the unmistakable opening hook to OneRepublic’s ‘Counting Stars’.
Leaning into the microphone, Peter started with the soulful, slow acapella intro, his voice ringing out crystal clear “Lately, I’ve been, I’ve been losing sleep…
dreaming about the things that we could be…”.
The moment the beat kicked into overdrive, the X-Men music room officially transformed into a full-blown concert arena.
Peter didn’t just stand behind the mic he leaned completely into the performer persona.
He grabbed a set of electronic drum pads connected to the looper, striking them in perfect rhythm as he belts out the high-energy chorus
“I feel something right doing the wrong thing…
and I feel something wrong doing the right thing…
I couldn’t lie, couldn’t lie, couldn’t lie.
Everything that kills me makes me feel alive!”
The energy in the room completely exploded, sending the music room into a frenzy of dancing and laughter.
Jubilee and Kitty immediately grabbed each other’s hands, spinning around in a wild uncoordinated dance in the center of the room.
Jubilee was intentionally letting off harmless, neon-colored sparklers that illuminated the room like a disco ball, while Kitty kept phasing through the couches to jump-scare her friends mid-dance.
Rogue couldn’t help herself.
The sheer infection of the beat took over and she started dancing right alongside Peter, hips swaying to the music laughing brightly every time he threw her a playful masked wink during the lyrics.
Storm and Jean Grey let their hair down, joining the girls in the center of the room.
Jean used a tiny playful hint of her telekinesis to make a couple of throw pillows float and spin around like party decorations while Storm clapped her hands perfectly to the rhythm, her laughter echoing over the music. This chapter was copied from NovelPing without permission.
Cyclops was actually caught bobbing his head aggressively.
He tried to maintain his serious leader posture but when Jean pulled him by the hand into the middle of the room, Scott gave in dancing awkwardly but happily his ruby-quartz visor catching the flashing neon sparks.
Even Logan couldn’t resist the vibe.
While he didn’t join the dance floor, he was lean-stepping against the back wall, using his fingers to rhythmically tap a steady tap against the wall with a massive rare grin on his face.
Peter drove the song home, building the layers up to a massive crescendo, his voice hitting every single soaring note perfectly.
When the final beat dropped and the looper faded out, the entire room erupted into pure chaos as cheers, breathless laughter and a standing ovation from the entire Xavier Institute staff.
Peter took a dramatic rockstar bow, sweeping his arms wide as Jubilee threw a handful of popcorn over him like confetti.
The X-Mansion had seen a lot of crazy things over the years but a Spider-Man concert was officially going down in the history books.
The high energy concert finally wrapped up and the entire group migrated to the mansion’s massive dining hall.
The scene was pure beautiful chaos.
Stacked high in the center of the long mahogany table were a dozen extra large pizza boxes from a local Westchester parlor.
Peter sat next to Rogue still wearing his Spider-Man mask but with the chin-strap pulled up neatly past his mouth so he could actually eat.
A technique Jubilee watched with intense focus.”Okay, but seriously” Jubilee said, slamming her soda down on the table, teasing Peter about his secret musical career.
“You expect us to believe you just came up with those songs?
Counting Stars?
Shivers?
Spidey, you’re a secret pop star, aren’t you?”.
“Are you secretly a popular singer we should know about?
What’s your stage name?
Spider-Crooner?” Jubilee continue questioning him.
“Yeah, come on, hit us with the truth” Kitty chimed in, using her fork to snatch a slice of pepperoni pizza straight through the side of the cardboard box using her phasing powers.
“When are you releasing the songs?
Because if you put them on Spotify, I am personally making sure the entire student body loops them until you go viral” Kitty said with conviction.
Peter chuckled, wiping a stray drop of marinara sauce from his chin underneath the fabric.
“I swear, I’m just a scientist who happens to hum a lot in the lab.
Let’s just say …
I am just doing this for fun.
You guys are the exclusive audience”.
“Shame” Logan grunted from the end of the table, folding a whole slice of pizza in half and devouring it in one bite.
“You could’ve used the royalties to buy some new sneakers that weren’t manufactured during the Cold War”.
“Hey!
The sneakers are vintage!” Peter protested, prompting a wave of laughter across the table as Rogue affectionately nudged his shoulder.
The chaotic dinner of pizza continued with flying crusts, Jubilee shooting neon sparks across the table to snatch the last garlic knot and Logan growling whenever anyone got too close to his specific piece.
The loud banter quieted down organically as the heavy double doors of the dining hall slid open.
Professor Charles Xavier rolled into the room, a warm, serene smile gracing his face.
“I apologize for my tardiness” Professor Xavier said, his voice calm and resonant as he navigated his hover-chair to the head of the table.
“Though I must say, the school hasn’t vibrated with that much musical joy in decades, Spider-man.
Thank you for the performance”.
“Anytime, Professor.
Hope I didn’t disrupt any important meetings or seminars” Peter smiled.
After the younger mutants finished eating and began clearing the boxes, Professor Xavier gestured for Peter and Rogue to join him near the large bay windows overlooking the moonlit grounds.
The mood shifted to something quieter and deeper as the Professor had a talk with Peter about Magneto and the current state of mutant affairs.
“Logan briefed me on what happened at the shipping docks” Xavier said, his expression turning serious but gentle.
“Magneto’s attempt to break Juggernaut out was a desperate move and his failure is largely due to your intervention has sent a strong message”.
Professor Xavier looked out at the peaceful gardens, a profound sense of gratitude in his eyes.
“I wanted to personally tell you how thankful I am for your advice and your actions, Spider-man”.
“You see, for the longest time the world viewed mutants purely as a threat.
But perception of mutants in the eyes of the public has gradually improved” Professor Xavier turned his chair back toward Peter, nodding softly.
“You didn’t just save New York, Spider-man.
You helped save our future” Professor Xavier smile thankfully.
Peter felt a quiet swell of pride under his mask.
He looked over at Rogue, who was looking at him with soft, brilliant eyes, her gloved fingers gently intertwining with his.
“We’re all just trying to leave the neighborhood a little safer than we found it, Professor” Peter said softly.
“Masked or not, we’re in this together”.
Xavier nodded slowly, his fingers interlocking as he listened to Peter.
The reflection of the moonlit grounds danced across the glass of the bay window, casting a quiet serenity over the corner of the dining hall.”
You make it sound simple, Spider-man” Xavier said, his voice dropping to a softer more reflective tone.
“But as you know, Erik is anything but simple.
Dealing with Magneto requires a delicate balance of strength and absolute resolve”.
“He operates on the belief that coexistence is a beautiful lie told by the naive.
Every time he strikes, he expects us to strike back with hatred to prove his point” Professor Xavier contemplate.
“The problem is” Peter sighed, resting his elbows on the window sill, “he’s charismatic, he’s brilliant, and powerful.
You can’t just throw him in a standard jail cell”.
“Exactly” Professor Xavier agreed.
“Which is why our response cannot just be physical containment.
We must defeat his philosophy before we can ever truly stop him.
And that is where your influence and the recent shift in our own operations has made all the difference”.
“Due to your advice the X-Men have become far more active in improving the human and mutant relationship by working directly with the human community” Professor Xavier explained.
Rogue stepped closer, leaning her shoulder against Peter’s.
“It’s true, Peter.
Before, we mostly just flew out when the alarms went off to fight bad guys and then hid back here in Westchester”.
“But lately, we’ve been changing things up.
We’ve been out there helping with disaster relief, rebuilding broken infrastructure after storms, and volunteering in the city” Rogue quickly told Peter.
“We realized that if we want humans to trust us, they need to see us when the world isn’t ending” Professor Xavier explained, a glimmer of pride in his eyes.
“When Cyclops leads a team to clear structural rubble after an earthquake, or when Storm provides targeted irrigation for drought-stricken farmlands alongside human agriculturalists, the fear evaporates.
They see us as neighbors, not anomalies” Professor Xavier said gratefully.
Peter smiled underneath the red fabric of his mask, his white lenses crinkling.
“That’s exactly it, Professor.
That’s the secret sauce.
People don’t fall in love with Spider-Man because I fight villains.
It’s the small human connections that build real trust”.
“Precisely” Professor Xavier said, bowing his head slightly in appreciation.
“And by standing with us at the docks, you showed the world that the hero of the common people trusts the X-Men.
Magneto wants a war of segregation but as long as we keep integrating our lives, our talents and our hearts with the human community, his army will continue to shrink.
You’ve given us a great blueprint, Spider-man”.
“Just happy to help” Peter said warmly, glancing over at Rogue who gave his arm a loving squeeze.
“Though …
do you think we could have some of that leftover pizza into a midnight snack later?” Peter asked with a joke.
Professor Xavier let out a rich, genuine laugh, turning his hover chair back toward the main hallway.
“I believe Logan has already claimed the remaining slices but you are welcome to order more if you are still hungry.
Enjoy the rest of your evening, you two”.
The crisp autumn air bit gently at the high peaks of the Xavier Institute roof but up here away from the chaotic energy of the lounge, the night was perfectly still.
Peter sat on the edge of the roof, his legs dangling over the massive drop with his Spider-Man mask pulled up just enough to expose his mouth and nose to the cool breeze.
Rogue floated up softly, her boots gently touching down on the sloped slate tiles next to him.
She wrapped her arms around herself, her white-streaked hair catching the silver moonlight.
“You know, for a guy who just sang like a superstar, you’re pretty good at finding the quiet spots” Rogue murmured, a soft southern drawl warming the chilly air.
“Hey, even rockstars need intermission” Peter smiled, looking out over the sprawling dark woods of Westchester.
He shifted over, making room for her on the stone ledge.
Rogue slid onto the seat next to him, her hands resting on his lap.They sat in comfortable silence for a minute.
Rogue turned her head, looking at his arms then back down at the view in front of them.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you, Peter.
Hank was running the sensor data from your battle against Juggernaut”.
She paused, her green eyes locking onto his with genuine awe.
“Hank said you were exerting somewhere above 60 tons of raw force to pull that big lug off his trajectory”.
“Yeah, give or take a few more tons” Peter chuckled sheepishly.
“I don’t usually push myself that hard but Juggernaut wasn’t exactly giving me a choice”.
Rogue blinked, a look of profound disbelief crossing her face.
She leaned closer, her jaw dropping slightly.
“Peter, I’m genuinely surprised.
Your peak strength is actually higher than mine”.
Peter let out a soft laugh, his eyes crinkling.
“Wait, really?
I thought your muscle density you’ve got running through your veins put you way past me”.
“Normally, I’m comfortable in the 50-to-60-ton bracket depending on how much momentum I’ve got” Rogue explained, shaking her head in mild amazement as she looked at him.
“To think my nerdy science-loving boyfriend can out-lift me when he really gets his back into it.
You’ve been holding out on me, cowboy”.
“Hey, it’s all in the DNA,” Peter teased, playfully flexing a single bicep under his jacket.
“Though honestly, I only hit those numbers when it is necessry.
If Juggernaut had been aiming for an empty warehouse instead of a dock full of X-Men, I probably would’ve just webbed his eyes and run away”.
Rogue’s expression softened, the playful banter fading into something deeply tender.
She leaned her head against his shoulder, her hand sliding over his.
“Well, I’m glad you didn’t run.
You were amazing out there, Peter….
you really are something else”.
“Just trying to keep up with you” Peter whispered, turning his head to press a gentle kiss to the top of her hair as they just watched the stars together, completely safe in each other’s arm.