Summary: While out in the mountains for a half-field exercise/half-vacation weekend, Jean and Kitty take the opportunity to learn a little more about one another, things no one would expect from either of them. Starts as a growing Jean/Kitty friendship, but eventually moves on to more like any good femslash. Mostly fluff for now, and hopefully forever. I hate angst. I have enough of it myself, thanks. Dx
Disclaimer: I own none of the X-Men characters, sadly, never mind Jean and Kitty. Though I'd give pretty much anything to own the latter of the two. Although Famke Janssen's pretty nice herself, I love Ellen Page to death. x3
Jean stopped short as the bell dismissing the fourth hour class period rang, effectively cutting off her lecture. Grinning to herself and laughing inwardly as apparent relief spread like the plague across the face of nearly every one of her students, she calmly capped her white board marker. "Remember, your research papers on the structure and characteristics of DNA are due before the bell on Monday," she reminded them. "Before the bell, Ronnie," she reiterated as said boy rose from his seat.
"Man, why you gotta call me out like that, Ms. Grey?" he asked, appearing offended, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
Jean chose not to answer him, merely smiling, nodding goodbye to her students as they filed out of the classroom. As she expected, Kitty Pryde was amongst the last of them, as she had always been since she became her student. A pen between her teeth, a pencil tucked above her ear, her backpack hanging haphazardly on her shoulder, and at least two notebooks balanced in her hands, she was doing a rather good job of rearranging her papers as she walked past. Jean smiled. She'd bet her life that there was no one who could manage on their own better than Kitty. Just before her student reached the door, Jean spoke.
"Kitty," she called softly. The girl in question paused and turned slowly, confused. "Do you have a moment?"
"Sure, Professor," the young mutant answered hesitantly. She hoisted her bag nervously as she moved toward Jean's desk, grimacing as she realized she had neglected to remove the pen from her mouth before she spoke. Jean concealed her smile as Kitty shifted the notebooks into one arm so she could deliberately retrieve the pen from her mouth and cap it properly, far beyond embarrassed by that point, a dark pink flush coloring her face as she did so. "Sorry," she muttered, shifting from one foot to another, clearing her throat and gripping the strap to her bag anxiously. "Am I in trouble, Ms. Grey?" she asked.
Jean was surprised. "Oh, no, no, you're not in trouble, Kitty," she hurried to explain, laughing aloud at the hilarity of the idea.
Kitty sighed heavily, relieved, her shoulders visibly relaxing. "Well, that's good," she told herself quietly. "See? No sweat."
The older mutant smiled reassuringly, having heard her student fairly clearly. "I was just wondering why I hadn't gotten your admission slip for the field training exercise we planned out in the mountains for the X-Men this weekend," she said, an auburn brow raised curiously as she placed the white board marker she'd been holding on her desk. "Do you have other plans? Homework or anything?" she asked, frowning slightly as she surveyed the younger girl's honestly bewildered expression.
"Field training?" Kitty repeated slowly, her brown eyes dark with confusion, her brow knit together with visible unease.
"Yes, just the other day I handed out the papers before class ended," she attempted to explain. "You weren't here. I gave yours to Rogue to pass it on." Jean frowned, reaching the apparent conclusion on her own. "She… didn't give it to you?"
Kitty laughed nervously, shaking her head. "Oh… No… Rogue… doesn't really seem to like me…" she admitted.
Jean frowned, motioning silently to the board where the day's notes were written as the first of her fifth period students began to file in. "Why not?" she asked, her attention once again turned to Kitty, worried that her shy student might not answer now that they weren't alone in the classroom.
"I think she thinks I like Bobby or something…" the tiny teen said quietly, glancing over her shoulder uncomfortably.
Jean nodded, sadly able to understand Rogue's irrational mistrust of the quieter, withdrawn member of the X-Men; Bobby had shown an interest in Kitty ever since they met. "Well, jealousy can do that to a girl..." she said, regretting the truth in it. "Anyway," she began, changing the subject abruptly as more students entered the room. "The trip starts today, right after all the students get out of class. We'll be gone until Monday afternoon. Oh, and don't worry about your homework either. Once you sign up for the trip, a message goes out to all of your teachers so you can have three extra days on your assignments." A smile began to form on Jean's face as she watched Kitty process the information. "So, are you interested?" she asked, seemingly her final words on the matter.
Kitty wrestled with herself for an answer. On one hand, it was an X-Men mission, and therefore she should go because an opportunity like that shouldn't be passed up, but on the other, she risked being murdered in her sleep by Rogue… "Well, I… I don't know, Ms. Grey…" she began hesitantly. "I mean, you guys are leaving so soon, and… I haven't packed…" She shook her head, flustered with herself, nearly losing hold of her belongings because of it. "I'll just hold up the whole trip, and…"
"Don't be silly," the older mutant commanded softly. "You won't hold anything up. Besides, everyone else probably still has to pack anyway, so you're not the only one." Jean smiled reassuringly once more. "Anyway, you're part of the X-Men. It wouldn't really be a true field exercise without all of us there, you know." She held out one of the admission slips temptingly.
Kitty took it hesitantly, somehow managing to make all of her burdens collectively look like the average amount able to be borne by such a small girl, and somehow managing to look not even the least bit overwhelmed by it all. Glancing up at her professor, who smiled supportively at her in return, Kitty skillfully uncapped her pen with one hand, using the edge of Jean's desk as a solid surface to sign the paper on. She handed it back silently, still weary about what she had just gotten herself into, but Jean's comforting smile helped to calm her, and she smiled a shy smile in return, averting her eyes timidly.
The late bell rang then, and Jean retrieved a late pass for the younger girl. "Just tell Storm that I asked to talk to you."
Kitty nodded, accepting the pass and ducking her head in a shy response when the professor nodded goodbye. Turning to head out the door, the young mutant froze, shocked to come face to face with Rogue, who had just managed to slip into class before Jean would have counted her late. The look Rogue gave her froze her blood, but she averted her eyes quickly, moving in a way that she was all too familiar with: a quick, nerveless, non-confrontational sidestep and quick paces out the door.
Jean watched the interaction sadly. She didn't blame Rogue, but it was nearly painful to see someone as easily intimidated as Kitty to get stared down by the dark charcoal eyes that sometimes scared even Jean herself. She sighed and motioned for Rogue to take her seat before turning to the rest of the class, ready to begin her fifth consecutive lecture of the day.