make me a believer

“ if you ever hurt him , what ? “ naomi crossed her arms over her chest in hopes that it gave her an intimidating demeanor. 

“What - never? Oh my god.” Nadir gasps dramatically as he looks over at Alexandra, mocking a disproportionate amount of surprise. Truth be told it doesn’t surprise him that much, it’s not like it’s a recent movie - and besides, they could always watch it together. “I’ve got it at home, we can have a movie night in the new place once I’ve moved.” He smiles and squeezes her hand gently. “I’m okay, Andi. Really.”

“ you know , that’s what people always say. they talk a lot about not wanting to hurt people but it happens. “

“Alexandra, lovely,” she smiles, “i’m sure you can imagine I have a few friends that like to tell me when they see someone like us around campus. there aren’t many,” to anyone that knew her, her tone may be downright surprising, knowing she needed to use her softness with this one, “may I ask– and we can go somewhere more private if you’d like, but may I ask what your abilities are?”

Alexandra smiles at that. She did like her name, having chosen it for herself as a kid. True, the circumstances weren’t ideal, but she liked the name she ended up with. “No, there’s not,” she agrees. People stared at her when she passed; even at a school filled with powered people, mutants with obvious physical mutations were oft seen as strange. It made her uncomfortable with herself a lot. But Raven’s voice was soothing. She glances around at the question. 

blue skin proudly on display, it didn’t take long for raven to hear about this young purple mutant on campus, and took her even less time to find the girl. she wears a gentle smile as she rounds the bookshelf, head tilted and yellow eyes as welcoming as she could make them, “no, i found her,” she said simply, “my name is Raven, and I must say my dear, your hue is lovely,” she she reaches out a hand to shake.

Her. Oh. Alexandra feels her heart drop instinctively, but the woman is clearly a mutant. And one who no doubt knows what it’s like growing up an unusual colour. Alexandra offers a small smile, taking the offered hand. “Thank you. You too. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Alexandra.”

Alexandra was in the library, sorting and reshelving books. Someone, it seemed, had just finished a major project on mutant history because she had a small stack just from that section. She pushes the trolley along, sorting them out quietly when she notices someone else in the aisle. “Can I help you find something?” the purple girl asks.

“ yeah. spite. “ naomi had approached the purple woman , knowing exactly who she was talking to and knowing exactly what she was going to do. she was feeling confident and sure of herself in that moment. “ so when i say to not hurt him– believe it. he’s my best friend and he’s been through a lot. i need to know that you’re not going to hurt him. “

Nadir’s not really sure what to expect from any of this. He’s so ready for Alexandra to realise that this isn’t a good idea for her to want to get so involved with him that he’s already prepared for the worst. What he certainly isn’t ready for is for Alexandra to do the exact opposite. “You.. you really think so? Andi..” His eyes widen for a moment in surprise, biting his lip as he tries to process what’s going on. It all seems too good to be true, but.. she seems so sure.

“Wow..” He blinks a few time as it dawns on him that Alexandra means it. He doesn’t know how to take it, he doesn’t know what to do, but he knows this is what he’d hoped for and had been so sure he would never get. “Wait, no - I do, Andi. I really do, I just..” Smiling gently, Nadir gives her hands a gentle squeeze, feeling like a little bit of weight has lifted off his shoulders. “I didn’t.. expect you to be okay with it, but if you are - then I definitely do want this.”

Alexandra nods quickly. Of course she thinks he’s worth it. She’s more sure about that than almost anything. His surprise makes her heart ache, wishing he could see himself the way she saw him. She smiles, lauging a little at herself from the nerves being released. No matter what happened now, it was out there.

That was a feeling Alexandra had felt before, feeling like she was alive simply to spite Killgrave or those who hated her. However, that coming from a green-haired girl she knew to be Nadir’s twin sister... Alexandra tried not to let her concern show through her smile. “Oh?”

He didn’t need much encouragement. “Well, I dunno- I told Nadir I was going to get iced coffee and asked if he wanted to come too. And then I proceeded to talk about myself the rest of the time and, like, many moons later I’m still hashtag, blessed, enough to call him my friend.” 

Alexandra chuckles and nods. She knew Nadir was close with Conrad, and Conrad seemed like a good person. Both of those help her to relax around him, not worried he was about to turn on her. “Must’ve been fate.”

“Andi -” Nadir sighs and shakes his head, trying to figure out how to actually word this. It’s not that he thinks she doesn’t understand - Alexandra’s not stupid, of course she understands what he’s saying, that’s not what he’s questioning. “I can’t give you what you’ll want at some point. I just - I can’t. That’s just me, that’s how I am and that’s not going to change. Trust me, I thought it would for.. ages, and it didn’t.”

He frowns and looks away from her for a moment, wringing his fingers together absently. “Besides, god knows I’m not easy. I wish I could say I was, but there’s.. so much to deal with when it comes to even knowing me, never mind anything more.” Taking a deep breath, he looks over at Nadir and he’s not sure he’s ready for the answer, but he asks anyway. “Do you really want to deal with all of that?”

Alexandra lets him talk, listening as he lists the reasons he thinks she shouldn’t be with him. When he’s finished, and he finally looks back to her, she takes his hand in hers again. She thinks for a moment, trying to find the right words to tell him. “I know it’s not going to be easy,” she says softly. “But I know you. And you... I don’t think you appreciate how much you mean to me. How... how much having you around means to me. You are worth it.” 

“ … i’m sorry. “ @notakillgrave

“hey, what you apologising for? you all good, what can i help you with? it ain’t a bother, whatever it is.”

send random starters !

Nadir’s incredible sense of dead is somewhat replaced by a sense of cautious hope. Not because he doesn’t believe her, but - well, no one else has ever been ready to be with someone who can’t really give them what they want in their relationships, and he’s not about to ask Alexandra to make that kind of decision. It wouldn’t be fair, but.. at the same time, he can’t help but wonder, can’t help but hope that maybe there’s the possibility that he could have this. That it might be okay for him to be happy, even if it’s only for a little while.

“Well.. yeah.” He answers slowly, titling his head to the side a little. For the briefest moment he’s not really sure what to say or how to answer until he realises what he’d said - there’s no way she wouldn’t pick up on it, of course. Alexandra knows him so well by now, how could he ever think she would miss it? “I.. I like you, Andi. A lot. You’re so important to me, you mean so much to me but..” He sighs softly and shrugs a shoulder. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to settle because I can’t be what you want. You deserve better than that.”

Alexandra felt like a weight had been lifted. The thought that she’d ruined things, or embarrassed herself irreversibly was melting away. She smiles, unable to help it. It was hard to imagine he’d like her, and yet here he was, telling her he did.

lorna catches the shift in color, but doesn’t say anything directly. her goal of course isn’t to call alexandra out, but the woman can’t help a little excited quirk of her lips. she continues before she brings attention to it though, “i think he’ll stay around for a bit. i mean, i’m a little biased of course, but i’d like to think so.”