Six months later

~Lyla's POV~

"Sweetheart, you okay? You didn't come down for breakfast."

"It's loud. It's all too damn loud and bright sometimes." I grumbled and held my head.

Six months ago, I came back to life. Six months ago, I received an essence of the Phoenix Force thanks to Jean saving me and all my abilities increased tenfold.

And since then, most days feels like I'm in a living nightmare.

"I know, baby... I know." Scott said, closing the curtains to my room and I sighed in relief. "It's just one of those mornings."

"I can hear everyone today, Scott. Student's cheating on their tests, Hank mumbling to himself in his office, Peter zooming around... even the lightest pencil scrape."

"Remember what Jean said. Focus on a single voice to ground you." He frowned as I covered my ears. "Do you want me to get the headphones again? They're in your desk."

"It's not just the noise, hon. It's everything... It's like I can feel, see, smell, taste and hear every single atom passing through and I can't turn it off. It's suffocating."

"Focus on me. All five senses on me." Scott ordered and held my face. "Just focus on me, Lyla."

I took a deep breath and focused on how his thumbs slowly stroked my cheeks and the steady beat of his heart.

"That's it... It's just the two of us here." He whispered and rested his forehead against mine. "It's just me."

"Thank you." I breathed out and tangled my hands in his hair.

"You don't have to thank me. I'm here for you, always."

"I hate this... I hate feeling like I'm a ticking time bomb... What if one day my senses get too much and I'll hurt someone, Scott?"

"I won't let that happen. You're stronger than you think, Lyla. And we're all here to help you and Jean control it."

"But what if I accidentally hurt you?" I choked out and Scott pulled back slightly to wipe the tears I didn't notice were falling. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't hurt me, Lyla. And you can control it, you already are."

"Some days it feels like I'm losing myself and I don't know what to do."

"You're not." He assured. "You're still you, Lyla. I see it every single day, in the way you care, the way you are. You're still the same woman I fell in love with all those years ago at first touch."

"I don't know what I'd do without you." I said and hugged him tight. "I love you."

Scott tensed for a brief moment and his heartbeat increased rather drastically until he wrapped his arms around me, resting his chin on the top of my head.

"I love you more, Lyla. More than you'll ever know."

"Can we... just stay here for a bit and hide?"

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be right now, sweetheart."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

"Oh, look who's up!"

"Shut up, Peter." I grumbled and opened the fridge. "Where's Cyclops?"

"Had to leave on a mission with Storm after you fell asleep, according to him. He left a note." Peter hummed, passing me a note and a single rose. "You two make me sick."

Mission time, but I promise I'll make it up to you.
I think you'll forgive me for leaving after this one.

Back in a few days.

I love you,
Red Eyes

"Which is my cue to change back into my pajamas and go to sleep." I decided and Peter rolled his eyes. "What!?"

"Don't you have a class to teach?"

"Nope. I get a day off due to severe migraines and so does Jean. The only reason I'm up and changed is because Charles practically ordered me to."

"Because you have a special mission." Charles announced and I groaned, rubbing my temples.

"Don't wheel in so loud, Professor. You're gonna kill me."

"Sensitive today?"

"Excruciatingly so. Hence the indoor sunglasses and I'm not Scott Summers."

"Can he drive at night with those things?" Peter wondered and I shook my head. "So how does he-"

"As long as we don't crash in that motorcycle of his, I genuinely don't care. I'll heal, but I'm not risking another brain injury on his part. He already can't control it with the one he already has!"

"Y'know, a lobotomy might fix that, petit." Another voice said and I turned to see a man holding a deck of cards and standing next to Charles. "Name's Gambit, mon ami. Make sure to remember that."

"What's with the Cajun? Is it gumbo night and I wasn't told so I can fight Kurt for the first plate?"

"This is Remy LeBeau, our new recruit... Remy, this is Lyla Howlett and Peter Maximoff, Ravager and Quicksilver."

"You caught this one in the middle of a sensory overload. Good luck with that." Peter laughed and I elbowed his side.

"What's your gift, Gambit? Gonna beat me in a game of Poker?" I laughed and he smirked, one of the cards glowing purple before he threw it at me. Peter quickly moved behind me and I used my claws to catch it before it exploded. "Okay... so kill us in a game of Poker, got it."

"Reminds me of my sister..."

"You have a sister?" I asked and Peter nodded. "Why is this new information to me?"

"Technically a twin sister and a younger sister... We're not on speaking terms."

"Okay, we're circling back to this later because my head can't process this right now."

"Does it make it worse that my birth name is Pietro but I always put Peter?"

"Dude, seriously... Too much to handle right now." I rubbed my temples and he sheepishly shrugged. "Okay... why don't the white haired guy who's name I don't know anymore and Gambit run a session in the Danger Room to see what he's made of and then when Storm and Cyclops get back, we'll all sit down and talk."

"Lead the way, Lyla."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

"Gambit has promise, Professor. He's passed almost every scenario I put him through."

"There is a reason I put you in charge of training."

"Wasn't Scott the one that made you do it? Because he's been leading this team for almost seven months now and everything is going smoothly." I teased and Charles rolled his eyes. "Where did you send him anyways?"

"Retrieval mission with Storm. There's been a mutant I've been keeping my eye on and now's the perfect chance." Charles hummed and turned the dial to increase the difficulty of the simulation. "I didn't send you since both you and Jean have been dealing with migraines the entire day."

"My heightened senses mixed with the Phoenix Force is a recipe for disaster most days, Professor."

"Which is why I gave you the day off."

"Except for this." I gestured to Remy and he shrugged. "What do we know about him?"

"Alpha- level mutant, can charge objects with pure kinetic energy."

"That's Omega level, Charles."

"He couldn't control his powers which resulted in him getting a lobotomy to regain control."

"Sounds tempting." I smirked and leaned against the glass. "Y'know, when I got reevaluated, I was surprised to see that I'm still Beta."

"You still have a weakness, Lyla. Your constant sensory overload and weakness to magnetism is what keeps you at Beta level... But your abilities are at Alpha level."

"So if I didn't have the adamantium-"

"You'd be a force to be reckoned with." He confirmed and I hummed. "Your adamantium is what keeps you from reaching full potential. When Jean gave you the essence of the Phoenix, she thought about removing your adamantium."

"But it would've killed me in the process and not even the Phoenix could've brought me back." I realized and Charles nodded. "I honestly don't care, y'know. I just found it funny that all this new power and I'm still categorized the same."

"It is rather amusing." Charles laughed as I turned on the microphone.

"Alright, Gambit. Why don't you go take a shower and Peter will show you where you'll be staying in the meantime." I called out and ended the simulation.

"As long as it's close to you, petit!" Remy winked and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm taken, LeBeau!"

"I don't see him."

"Trust me, sweets. You genuinely don't want to with the way you're talking."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

"Lyla! X-phone for you!"

"Don't yell!" Jean and I hissed at Kurt. "Sensitive!"

"My bad." He apologized and handed me the phone before teleporting away.

"I take it the migraine hasn't calmed down." Scott's voice rung out and I grumbled, placing an ice pack on my head. "I thought I left you sleeping."

"Tell that to the Professor who forced me to meet a new recruit."

"And?"

"Kinetic energy, Alpha-level. Could've been Omega if he hadn't gotten a lobotomy to better control his powers."

"The lobotomy worked?"

"Don't even think about it, Summers."

"Ugh, I'm the one considering the lobotomy if it'll stop this fucking migraine." Jean groaned and covered her head with a pillow.

"Anyways... Who are we recruiting now?"

"Can't really say yet because I don't know if he'll come willingly." Scott hummed. "I think Storm is convincing him... I'd have a go but he beat my ass and almost broke my ribcage."

"Sounds pretty serious." I chuckled and Jean poked her head just to raise an eyebrow. "Scott got his ass beat by the new potential recruit."

"I'd pay good money to see that."

"I was in a cage match, okay? I can barely move without feeling that my bones are about to break... Babe, the guy dragged me to a fucking cage match!"

"Oh, I'd definitely pay for that." I smirked and Jean rolled her eyes.

"Dying to get me shirtless, sweetheart?"

"More like pay to see the other guy drag your ass." I teased and he scoffed. "Scott, I've been to those matches as a dare when I was eighteen, remember? Those things are no joke."

"I noticed."

"Cyclops, I need your help. He won't be convinced." Storm called out and he sighed. "I will do my best to keep you both separated."

"Yeah, because I don't think he likes me very much."

"Apparently, he doesn't like anyone."

"I take it you have to go?" I asked and he sighed. "Good luck with the newbie. Make sure he doesn't kill you."

"And you make sure to get some sleep. I'll keep the X-Phone on me just in case... I'll be home in a day or so."

"If he challenges you to another match, use the cage to your advantage. It's all about survival instincts."

"Will do, babe... I love you."

"Love you too, Scottie boy." I smiled and hung up. "Bet you ten bucks he's challenged to another match."

"Men and their egos." Jean rolled her eyes and I chuckled. "Migraine's clearing?"

"Getting there. Not as intense as this morning, but better. You?"

"Everyone thinks too fucking loud." She grumbled.

"Yeah? At least you can't smell what one of the students didn't flush in the bathroom downstairs."

"Gross! How can you even deal with that!?"

"Why do you think my classroom is full of flowers, Jean?"

"Really? I thought that Scott just likes to give you every kind of flower imaginable."

"That too."