DISCLAIMER: Don't own them, though I do covet them.
SPOILERS: Nothing that can't be seen or heard in the trailers.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
As You Are
By Janine
"I thought you were smarter than that."
Mystique turned at the words her yellow eyes immediately locating the source of the taunt.
"Just because you live with freaks, it doesn't mean you understand what it's like to be one of us," Mystique responded her eyes meeting Callisto's steadily.
"You're not a freak," Callisto said softly taking a step towards Mystique. "You're beautiful, wonderful. Just the way you are," she continued stopping just in front of the blue woman, her hand coming to rest on Mystique's cheek. "You don't need their cure. There's nothing wrong with you."
Mystique found herself leaning into the other woman's hand as Callisto's thumb stroked the scales on her cheek. They were sensitive and it was very pleasurable for her to have them touched, but so few people had touched her in her true form that the sensation was alien to her.
"You don't understand," Mystique said suddenly pulling away from Callisto's touch, the thought of how rare it was to be touched reminding her why she was going to do what she was going to do.
"I know what it's like to be afraid of the world," Callisto responded making no effort to remove her hand from Mystique's firm grip.
"But you," Mystique began releasing the bronzed woman's hand. "Have no idea what it's like for people and mutants alike to recoil in horror at the sight of you," she continued the backs of her fingers trailing across the plains of Callisto's beautiful face.
"I'm not flinching," Callisto replied standing perfectly still as Mystique's fingers traced the intricate tattoo on her right cheek.
"No," Mystique acknowledged. "You're not. But it's not enough to have the sight of me be tolerated. It's not enough for someone to simply NOT be repulsed. I need to be wanted, as I am. Not for what I can morph into, not because I can be everybody's dream…and nobody's."
"And you think Rao's cure can do it?" Callisto asked, practically snarling the accursed woman's name.
"It would make me as I should have been without …"
"The very natural mutation you were born with," Callisto interjected. "Don't you see that you'll still be changing from who you are? And this time it will be permanent," she continued reaching out for Mystique again. "This face will be lost," she said drawing her finger along Mystique's jaw. "No one will ever look into these eyes again," she went on meeting Mystique's yellow stare. "No one will ever see you as you were born, for who you truly are ever again."
Mystique sighed. She knew what Callisto was saying to be true but …
"No one sees me now," she replied. "I'm a thing," she continued tilting her head out of Callisto's grasp. "When I transform into the blonde in the sundress, or the brunette in the business suit I'm looked at. I know what it is to be seen, to be looked at with desire. And that it does not happen when I am simply me."
"You're not looking close enough," Callisto responded softly.
"I don't want your pity," Mystique replied seeing something in the darker woman's eyes but untrusting of her interpretation of it.
"It's not pity you see," Callisto stated softly. "I see you, as you are. And I think you're beautiful," she continued reaching out for the blue woman once more. "I desire you, as you are."
Callisto leaned forward slowly, giving Mystique a chance to pull back if it was not what she wanted, but the other woman stayed where she was and within seconds Callisto's lips were upon hers, brushing against them softly, before her tongue fluttered against Mystique's lips asking permission to enter.
Mystique granted the request and soon Callisto was pressed against her, their tongues dueling as Callisto's hand moved all over her body, caressing her sides, sliding around her waist to her back, moving up and down and tenderly over skin and scales alike with equal passion.
Callisto blinked into the kiss as she felt something wet against her cheek, a faint taste of salt mingling into their kiss. Pulling back slightly so that she could see Mystique's face she ran her thumb over the woman's damp cheek gently before leaning back in to kiss her, whispering "as you are," against her lips.
The End