“Hey um, about that,” she murmured softly, indicating Bobby should sit down, a direction he followed.

“I’m sorry about John, I know he was your friend and that must have hurt to watch him walk away like that...” she paused, unsure how to springboard onto the next point she needed to raise.

“Hey, it’s not so bad, we figured out we work together pretty well as a team,” he butted in to fill the silence.

“Um, yeah, yeah I guess we do... it’s just that... well, I think we work together better as a team of friends, not as girlfriend and boyfriend,” she eventually blurted out.

Bobby sat in stunned silence for a moment. “Oh,” he finally murmured, “And um, when did you think that?” he queried.

“Honestly?” she posed, catching his nod in return. “I’ve been thinking it a while, at first I thought it was just nerves, you know, being close to someone, with my skin, then... when we kissed, at your parents house, it um...”

“Wasn’t what you wanted?” Bobby replied dejectedly.

“It was, kind of like, what I imagine... kissing your brother feels like,” she murmured, blushing bright pink.

“Oh,” was all Bobby replied.

“And, well, when you kissed me you were, sort of, thinking some things, and I just... I don’t think a relationship is going to work out between us, you need someone you can touch, and I understand that, I do, you’re too scared to be comfortable touching me,” she added.

“Oh,” it was Bobby’s turn to blush pink. “You got that when we touched?” he queried guiltily.

“Yeah, and I just want to say, I don’t blame you, my mutation scares me sometimes too, so, I get it,” Marie assured him. “I think we should just be friends from now on,” she repeated.

“I understand,” Bobby replied, “I guess I can live with that. And I’m glad you’re okay, I’m glad everything worked out,” he added, reaching toward her a little less hesitantly to squeeze her gloved hand, though he released it again quickly once he had.

“Hey, while we’ve got the rec room mostly to ourselves why don’t we go and watch a movie?” Bobby suggested hopefully.

“I’m still kind of tired after yesterday, I think I’m actually going to go back to bed for a while,” Marie hedged apologetically.

Thankfully he took her comment at face value, and before much longer rose to leave. He probably accepted her excuse so easily because she genuinely was still tired. With a yawn a few moments later, she rose, and padded back inside, depositing her mug on the counter before dragging herself upstairs, and heading for her own bedroom. She ordinarily shared her room with three roommates but thankfully, for now, had it to herself.

She had just crawled under her covers when a soft knock sounded on her door. She couldn’t be bothered getting up to open it so she just called for whoever it was to come in.

“Hey darlin,” Logan’s voice rumbled comfortingly. “Slight change of plans, Storm and I are heading out to pick up some of the kids who have gotten themselves in trouble, I’m not going to be able to make lunch after all, you get some more sleep and I’ll take you out for dinner instead,” he informed her, after he settled himself down on the bed beside her.

“Sounds like a plan,” Marie murmured, “Be safe,” she instructed, smiling when he chuckled before leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead.

“Yes ma’am,” he acquiesced, then took his leave, closing the door softly behind him, leaving her to fall into dream world.