GENRE: fluff
WARNINGS: none.
NOTES: @SunshineGal25 requested a bobby imagine. he's soooo cute and i defos got carried away. for some reason, i needed this request in my life and i thank you for it. ALSO MORE CLIMBING THROUGH WINDOWS??

also stan gay!bobby from the comics for good skin and grades! 💗🌠

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Bobby and you had been friends since middle school, but became especially close when you both made the move to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters together.

Upon hitting puberty, your parents discovered that you were a mutant, just like your mother. Naturally, they panicked, and sent you to boarding school across the country.

It was made easier when you realized Bobby had gone through a similar thing, if not worse. Naturally, the two of you became more inseparable as friends, being closer than a lot of people could understand. By senior year, the rumors about the two of you were completely out of hand, but Bobby didn't seem to be doing anything about it. In fact; he seemed to be enjoying them, slightly.

"Oh, come on, Bobby! Why don't you ever tell them off?" You asked him as you threw your bag down next to your bed in your dorm. Charles had an 'open-door' policy - which meant that you could sit in a room together, but you'd be caught if you were doing anything too unsavory for school. Though, you couldn't imagine anything like that happening with your long-term friend.

You could hear him sigh, settling into your desk chair as you took up a space on your bed, pulling your sneakers off now that the school day had ended. You didn't notice that there was silence until you had them fully off.

Peering back at Bobby, he was already watching you, something clearly on his mind. You couldn't help but blush under his gaze, not used to catching someone so blatantly looking. Lately, your friend had been having that sort of affect on you. There was something about him that tended to get you flustered, despite how comfortable you knew you were with him. You thought you got over your crush on him a while ago - - but it appeared to be coming back in some ways at the very least.

Bobby was trying to find a way to say 'I don't want to' without coming off as too hopelessly in love with you. But he was, anyways.

When the rumors first popped up, he wasn't even sure what any of that meant. He was 16, and very oblivious as to whatever was going on around him - especially with you. "Don't you think she's just in love with him?" "Totally! It's kind of sad to watch," would constantly be bouncing around in friendship groups. He was confused, and you were embarrassed more than anything; retracting from him slightly for a while until you'd convinced yourself you didn't like him as much anymore.

By the next year, it'd nearly completely switched. Bobby couldn't go through one conversation with his male friends, without them teasing him mercilessly about the fact that you two were only platonic. According to them, you were hot, and available, and liked him - and it was dumb for him not to take the opportunity and get in your pants. That was mostly Johnny; but the point still stood.

More recently, now that you were seniors; almost all of your friends and classmates were convinced that you were secretly dating, at the very least, with how close you were and how easily you got along. And none of them were afraid to mention it in front of you, blatantly making jokes and inferences while you were right there. Bobby would usually take it in stride, and almost seemed a little bit too into it. He'd always smile nervously, and deny it loosely - - but you could tell that he never really fought his friends back about it.

The truth was, he'd realized how head over heels he was for you. And the implications of you two being together didn't seem to feel wrong to him at all. When he figured out how he felt about you, he knew what love was.

"I don't know . . ." He pondered it for a moment, leaning back in his seat as his gaze drifted over you. It seemed subconscious, and you couldn't help but feel how warm your face still was as his gaze met yours again, blue eyes twinkling. His lips curved into a slightly smug, cocky smile, "Why do you let it bother you, anyways?"

You didn't know what to say, and you couldn't seem to hold his vision as it flittered away. Bobby loved the way you flustered. He always had. You were shy, and gentle, and he'd always been the one reaching out to you. You in turn, had a soft spot for him, and would do anything to make him happy. He couldn't have it any better if he tried.

"I don't know . . . it's just not true, Bobby," You shook your head, playing with the edge of your blanket despite yourself. You peered at him, and he couldn't help but chew on his bottom lip, regarding you with a tilted head and surprisingly intense expression.

"And? It doesn't harm anyone," He rolled his eyes at you, pretending like he didn't care, when the look you were giving him was eating him away. Why did you have to be so damn beautiful? "But if it makes you upset, I'll tell them off," Bobby couldn't help but add, because he was totally and completely whipped. He'd do anything if you asked.

Your gaze softened at his words, and he could tell that you were grateful. Not looking at him, you couldn't help but slip belatedly: "It's not that bad, I guess . . ."

You heard his familiar laugh, and you hid a smile stubbornly when you felt a dip on your bed. His head was tilted down to capture your vision, and when you finally did, he seemed a little pleased with himself. "Oh, is that so?" He pried, "Not so bad, then."

You shook your head, not able to meet his eyes now that he was so close. Bobby was a second away from convincing you of nearly anything with those blue eyes of his.

Suddenly, you felt something cold, and you looked down to see Bobby holding your hands in his gently. He'd always been insecure that people didn't like touching him much - - given how icy he was. But you were warm, and you told him that counteracted it. In fact; you liked the way his fingertips felt, and you couldn't hide a slight shiver that ran through you when he touched you.

He observed your goosebumps lightly, and he couldn't help but smile despite himself, admiring you openly while you couldn't catch him.

"Maybe . . . it wouldn't be so bad," You shrugged, eyes flickering up to meet his through eyelashes. He didn't know what to say, not even sure that you were inferring what he thought you were. And God, the way you were looking at him wasn't helping even a little bit. You were gorgeous.

"What . . .?" He asked gently. Suddenly, you were the only thing he could see, and his heart was thumping. Bobby has never really felt like this for someone, and it was driving him crazy to be on the edge of this friendship for so long. He didn't want to lose you - - not in the slightest. But he didn't think he'd survive in the intermediate any longer.

You chuckled nervously, retracting your touch from him as you shifted to the side, "I . . . nothing, Bobby. Really." You didn't seem to be convincing yourself, or him, not looking at the boy to save your life.

His eyebrows furrowed, and he was afraid he'd pushed you too far. But then again, you were the one that seemed to be bringing it all up - - and that made his head spin most of all.

"Do you wanna talk about this later? When there's less people around?" He offered, referencing the door that still remained open to the hallway. Sure, no one would really eavesdrop - - but it didn't exactly feel private. Particularly because people were still just getting back from classes.

You couldn't help but give him a small, thankful smile, "Yeah, thanks, Bobby," You admitted, letting out a little sigh. You were beyond grateful to have a friend as understanding as him. He'd always respected your boundaries, and was more considerate than one would've expected.

"Anything for you," He chuckled slightly, shaking his head as he got up from his place on the bed next to you, his mind begging him to escape the situation by any means before he said something he regretted.

__________

That Friday, Bobby had promised to spend the night goofing off with you - so you could finally have some time alone. During the week, you'd gone most of the time hanging with your other friends, and finishing a paper you had to hand in that day. If you were honest, the less time you spent with him, the more your head allowed you to go crazy. You just wanted to admit your dumb crush to him so that you could get over it in the wake of your embarrassment. You were looking forward to seeing him again (because how couldn't you miss him?), but that didn't stop the anxiety from pooling at your belly while you waited for him.

You spent the afternoon with some of your classmates, chatting away until the sun began to set, and Jubilee told everyone that it'd be lights out soon. It wasn't unusual for all of you to mess around and stay up late, sitting on the benches where you'd usually have lunch during school, bathing in the white lights until you had to fight off the moths that were attracted to them. All of you made your ways separately to your rooms, where you waited quietly for Bobby to sneak in.

Usually, girls and guys wouldn't be allowed in each other's dorm rooms after that time was called - and if you got caught the punishment was pretty severe. But Bobby had been in your room for a few nights over the span of your friendship, and you'd gotten away with it each time. When you were younger, you guys would crack open a bag of Gushers or some other sweets, and talk about total nonsense. As you got older, the two of you just wanted to enjoy each other's presence. Sometimes you'd play songs quietly off your tape machine, and he'd listen to you sing softly. Other times, he'd comfort you when you cried, or you'd help him figure out his problems.

Never once in that time had he slept in your bed with you, despite how much you wanted to pull him beneath the blankets and share in his warmth. He'd agree to take your roommates bed when they weren't there, or even take the floor. For your whole relationship, he never allowed himself to linger on you too much - because he knew what would happen. It was difficult to ignore how he felt when you touched him, so he mainly avoided it all together. You held hands sometimes, and he always said you made his cold hands so much warmer. And you'd always smile, and blush.

Lost in thought - you almost didn't notice the sound of your sash window sliding open, creaking as it came to a halt, and Bobby's upper body appeared.

"Woah, (Y/n)! When was the last time the Professor oiled this thing?" He asked you, his hands gripping the edge of the sill as you stood from your bed in surprise.

"Bobby! Get in here -" You couldn't help but laugh because of the situation, going over to offer your hands out for him to take, "You're trampling the rose bushes!"

He ignored your action, hauling himself up by his hands, before hiking his leg over the ledge and finally ending up on the ground across from you. Breathing out, he took your one hand in his, a slanted smile on his face as he met your eyes.

You were still clearly amused, raising your eyebrows at him, because this was totally not something he would do. Maybe John, but not Bobby. By all accounts, your friend was someone that liked to keep himself out of trouble, and certainly wasn't in the business of climbing through people's windows (even if you did have one of the few dorms on the ground floor). "Couldn't you just have come through the door?" You asked, a smile quirking your lips as you tilted your head in the direction of the actual entrance.

"No way!" He rolled his eyes as if it should have been obvious to you - and you loved this childish side of him. You were one of the only people he could let it out in front of. "I nearly bumped into Professor McCoy in the hallway. I had to double back and climb in to save my ass," He admitted, and you rattled with a laugh, bringing him in for a warm hug.

"Thanks for risking your life," You told him against the fabric of his sweater, and you noticed how he'd curiously kept his one hand behind his back when you pulled away.

Before you could begin to make a comment, he was revealing a white rose to you. It still had its leaves and thorns, and you were sure he'd snagged it from the bush just outside, right before he got your attention. You couldn't help but flush anyway, taking it from him - - your fingers brushing against his gently. "It's my pleasure, (Y/n)," He admitted honestly, slightly bashful at his own actions, but he wanted to do it nonetheless. Bobby wasn't used to expressing his emotions so openly, but he supposed if he did want to be with you (and God, did he) - - then he'd have to cross into some territory that was pretty new to him.

"Bobby - -" You brought it up to your face, breathing in the sweet smell it gave off, too embarrassed to look him in the eyes when you just knew you were as red as a cherry. "It's so pretty! Thank you," You told him, absolutely bursting with butterflies at the gesture - - even if he did steal it from its place.

Yeah, just like you, he wanted to say. But he didn't. He was always too much of a coward when it came to you.

"Well, I thought you'd like it," He shrugged, playing off the smile he wore because of your flusterment.

You hummed at his words, turning in your spot so that you could walk over to your beside table. You had a few flowers from the garden placed in a little jar, wilting ever since you cut them days ago. You placed the rose in between them, admiring how its petals spread, and reflected the bright light of the moon through the windows. "I love it," You murmured, peering back over your shoulder to see a somewhat nervous looking Bobby.

You were about voice your concerns, before he decided to draw closer, fiddling with his hands like he wanted to say something. Instead of asking, you took up a spot on your bed, gesturing for him to take the place next to you so that he could talk when he felt comfortable enough.

Once he sat, his gaze was on the floor, lost in thought as you allowed yourself to peer over him. He'd always been boyishly handsome, and who were you if you didn't admire him a little bit? Particularly when you were one of the only people he actual let that close to him. By all accounts, Bobby was pretty friendly - - but he wasn't exactly the kind of person to be vulnerable very often. Especially not with people we wasn't close to (and you were about the nearest it got).

You reached out to take his hand, comforted by the coldness you knew would be coming. Your fingers laced with his, and this seemed to draw him from his momentary reverie. You were the only person that never flinched when he touched them, and he didn't know why but that made him more in love with you than ever. Your hold was always so warm compared to him - - it was almost soothing.

"What's going on? You're not usually so thoughtful," You observed with a slightly teasing tone, watching as he retroactively rolled his eyes at your words. And you were right. It wasn't often that you caught Bobby staring into nothingness, or really pondering things. He was more of a 'let's jump into this, and figure it out along the way' kind of guy. That's why his quietness concerned you.

"I've just got a lot on my mind," He admitted softly, blue eyes flickering to meet yours again. He always loved the way you looked at him - - like you really cared, and like he meant just as much to you, as you did to him.

You had a slight humour in your tone, but you didn't keep the worry from it, either. Your thumb ran across his skin gently as you spoke: "Oh, like what?"

What you didn't expect where his next words, his features filled with a steely conviction as they peered into yours.

"You," He explained simply, a smile ghosting across his lips at your reaction.

You immediately flustered despite how much you wanted to hide it, your face filling with a pretty pink hue at the implications, "Oh. Well . . . you don't have to worry about me, Bobby. I'm fine."

He shook his head as you seemed to be understanding around the truth. And he thought he was supposed to be the oblivious one. Once again, it felt like you positions had switched in that way. "I know. I just . . . can't help it," He admitted, chuckling slightly in return to your confusion.

"What do you mean?" You asked, candidly confused, because never in a million years did you think Bobby would ever like you back.

And you really thought you were able to bury your feelings for him - - but the way your heart was beating in your chest told you that you hadn't done a very good job. Bobby being insufferable sweet, and adorable probably had something to do with it, too.

"You know all that stuff that people say about us?" He prompted, tilting his head.

You let out a nervous laugh as your brain swirled with all the things people had to say about your relationship. Your pulse was thumping at how close you were, and that you were actually talking about what had been on your mind for what felt like forever. "Yeah, Bobby. Which rumour specifically?" You asked, because you'd heard a few different ones over the months.

He laughed at your exasperation, unable to hide the way he beamed with happiness for you, and you alone, "All of them."

"Oh, what about them?" You enquired, looking away from him for the first time, because it felt like your world was caving in on you for the better, or the worse. You instead stared down at your interlaced hands, admiring this slender fingers and ignoring the way you felt hot.

"I wish they were true."

As soon as it left his lips in that sweet voice, your gaze snapped up to meet his desperately earnest one, his words hanging in the air for a moment - - and you swore you'd heard him wrong. Your stomach burst to life with butterflies, and you didn't quite know if you were dreaming or not.

"Bobby - - what do you mean?" You whispered, too shy to even accept what was happening - - the bridge of your nose and your cheeks flushing red in a way that he just so loved.

"I was trying to figure out what you said the other day. How it wouldn't be so bad if it were all true. That's what you were saying, right?" He rambled slightly, thinking back to the words that he'd played over and over again in his head since you'd let them leave your mouth. Rethinking your tone, and your face, and the way you looked when you said it to find the slightest clue as to what you meant - - and if you meant what he though you did. God, the hoped.

"Well . . ." Your other fingers moved to trace patterns across the back of his hand that grasped yours, avoiding eye-contact to save your life, "I did say that,"

"Did you mean it?" His voice was more fragile than you expected, and you held your breath in reply, not believing that you were about to admit it all for real.

"Yes."

"Well, I think you're right." He told you, making you look up at him in embarrassed surprise, lips parted beautifully as he carried on: "And... I think I'm in love with you."

"Wh - -" You immediately breathed out, "Bobby, you're what?"

His grateful baby blues washed all over you face, and how utterly bashful you were. He cherished every moment of it, noticing the that despite all of that, you didn't pull away from him for a second. The way you tried to hide a smile, and flushed beyond compare.

"I'm in love. . ." He repeated, "With you."

"Oh my God," You shook your head like you still couldn't believe him. And in all honesty, you were struggling to. Just a year ago, you were pushing your feelings for him away - - but then there he was, being honest, and so kind, and staring at you like he really meant it. Love.

"And it's okay if you don't feel the same, I just really hoped you'd feel something?" Bobby's eyebrows pulled together, now beginning to worry that he'd made you all too overwhelmed again.

"I. . . I do, " You started, peering back to him so that you could see his face as you let slip the one thing that you never thought you would, "I love you too - - as a friend, always. But I also love you, Bobby. Like: I want you to kiss me kind of - -"

And then he was. He was kissing you like his life depended on it. Cold hands cupping your cheeks as his equally icy lips met yours. Bobby sighed into your warmth, feeling the way you shifted to reciprocate him - - arms wrapped around his neck as you enjoyed the feeling of finally capturing your best friends affection. Even when your hands drifted into his hair, and his tongue slipped into your mouth, you couldn't get enough of each other for what felt like forever.

Both of you were filled with butterflies, laughing slightly in between little adoring kisses all night.

It was the first time that he ever snuck in, where he got to share the bed with you. Tangled between sheets as you lay close together, sharing in excitable love that kept you up until the sun rose. You fell asleep first, lying against his chest when he knew he'd have to leave soon. But he didn't care as he watched you breath slowly, content as you nuzzled into the material of his sweater, feeling his own eyes droop from an inevitable tiredness.