Setting: Takes place somewhere in season 2 when Jean and Scott still has a platonic relationship. Nudge, nudge. Pre-Power Surge.
TV Night
-sherridin-
Jean quickly grabbed the remote.
"Hey!" Scott protested, setting the bowl of butter popcorn on the coffee table.
Jean held the remote out of his reach. "I don't want to spend this evening watching a herd of African elephants poop on National Geographic."
"I wasn't planning on watching that."
"I don't want to watch a talk show on global economy either."
Scott tugged at the remote control. "Fine, just give me the remote before we end up watching one of your drama series."
"Ok, so just let me look for a channel we can agree on."
"No, allow me to look."
Jean gave a surprised yelp when he grabbed the controller out of her outstretched arms.
"I used to be taller than you, you know!"
"Yeah, when we were 12!" Scott replied with a laugh. She was tall for her age then, and he was a late bloomer.
"Those were the good old days when I used to beat you up," Jean replied as she rushed after him.
They ran around the room until they had the couch in between them.
Jean was beginning to get impatient and Scott could tell. "Hey, no powers," he reminded.
"Wasn't going to use them," she grumbled unconvincingly.
Slightly hunched over with his weight resting on the balls of his feet, Scott studied his opponent, remembering all the hours they had spent in the danger room.
Having trained with her since they were twelve, Scott can practically read her body language in a battle and vice versa. That's what makes them so in sync during missions. Even without the use of telepathy, they can always know each other's next moves.
Scott readied himself to run to his left the second he saw Jean slightly shift her weight to her left.
They rotated fruitlessly for a while.
Jean finally stood still and looked at the living room clock. "It's already 10:30. At this rate, we'll never get to watch anything."
Scott crossed his arms. "Well, I'm not watching any of your chick flicks."
"They are so not chick flicks," she retorted.
"'Sleepless in Seattle'? 'Moulin Rouge'? 'While You Were Sleeping'?"
"Moulin Rouge is not a chick flick. Besides, I'm not watching anymore lame-o action movies."
"They're not lame," he defended.
"If I hear one more "Hasta la vista, baby", I'll scream."
"I thought you like Terminator."
"I did, until I was living with a bunch of testosterone-pumped teenage boys who watch it once a week." Jean stressed the next word. "Separately."
"Add a full-grown, adamantium-boned man to the list."
Jean smirked. "I think he's actually worse than us kids."
She sent Scott a mental memory of Logan growling Arnold's lines when he was watching the movie late one night.
Startled with the image, Scott guffawed.
Seeing Scott distracted, she lunged towards him and knocked the remote from his hands. They were on the floor in seconds, scrambling for the remote.
Professor Xavier, dressed in his night robe, wheeled into the room and cleared his throat loudly.
Jean and Scott's heads shot up. They straightened up quickly at the sight of their mentor.
"I thought things would be quieter around here with the other kids at the overnight trip."
Charles raised an eyebrow. "Turns out my eldest students would more than compensate for the younger mutants' absence."
Jean and Scott smiled sheepishly.
Charles broke his stern voice when his lips twitched. "I forget how you two used to be the resident trouble-makers around here. Do you remember how you used to drive Logan up the wall?"
"Of course, we take much pride in that knowledge," Jean replied with a grin. "Sorry if we woke you up, Professor."
"Yeah, we'll keep it down," Scott added.
Charles glanced at the disturbed sofa cushions and squashed pillows. He looked at the remote control that they were both holding and subtly tugging at each end. "I suggest you share the TV."
Scott and Jean can hear Charles chuckling as he wheeled through the hallway.
Jean dropped the remote in Scott's hands. "We can both be so childish."
Scott followed her to the sofa. "I know. It's fun. And it's nice having the whole mansion to just us again. When the other x-kids are here, I feel I have to take on the big brother role."
"I know. I do that too. I morph into this responsible, bossy, take-charge person."
"But you've always been bossy."
Jean smacked his head.
"Ow!"
She smiled sweetly. "Can you pass the popcorn, please?"
"People think you're nice but you're actually really mean," Scott remarked as he rubbed his head.
"Thanks."
Scott flipped through the channels. "There's nothing good on. What do we watch?"
Jean shrugged. "You didn't like any of the DVDs I suggested."
"We've seen 'Almost Famous' at least four times and 'Back to the Future' at least five. We definitely have to upgrade our DVD collection. But maybe we can watch--"
"No no, no more Jurassic Park."
"I was thinking—
"No ET too."
Scott grumbled something that sounded like, "I wasn't going to say ET."
Jean grinned wickedly. "Uh-huh."
Scott ignored her and continued going through the channels.
"Hey, stop."
Scott stopped flipping. "It's in Spanish."
"No, before that."
He backtracked to see on screen a teenage boy and girl, obviously crushing and making gooey eyes at each other in the library.
"You've got to be kidding me."
"People in love being degraded to fluff and mush," Jean commented as she watched the screen. "Let's try it. It's brainless fun."
"No."
"Pleeeaase Scott?"
Scott groaned. "I knew we're going to end up with a chick flick."
Jean grinned as she reached into the popcorn bowl.
"Oh Ben, It's beautiful" sighed the girl, as they watch the sun set at the bay.
"Not as beautiful as you," breathed the boy.
Scott and Jean broke into groans and snorts for the nth time.
"I saw that coming from a mile," Scott choked out.
"No, no, the best line was still 'We're destined for one another—'
Scott chimed in, "'we're written in the stars!'"
"Why did you come back?"
"I realize I can't leave you, Ben. You're the only one who really understands me. I just can't –"
Scott and Jean continued in a rush, "live without you."
"survive without you."
"Close enough," Scott remarked.
"But your family will disown you!"
"I don't care. You're —"
"All I'll ever need," they chimed in again.
"All I'll ever need."
"We are so good at this," Jean remarked with glee.
"Who watches these things?" Scott asked incredulously as the lead characters began to have their passionate close-up kiss. "It's like the mother ship of all sappy movies."
"We're watching," Jean pointed out.
"Yeah, to make fun of it." Scott gestured to the screen where the couple is now hugging and practically groping each other. "I mean, it's the generic story. Handsome guy falls head over heels for the beautiful girl. They pine for one another and then get into a problem that threatens to separate them-- like say, economic/social differences, or a misunderstanding, or previous commitments, etc. etc. But ultimately they'll find a way to be together and have their happy ending."
Jean added, "And they usually tend to be opposites. Like one of them is a popular jock and the other a social outcast, or one is a struggling writer and the other heir to a multimillion company, or one is an irresponsible son of a politician and the other is a free spirited activist."
"Or all of the above," Scott put in.
"I never knew true love until I met you," said the boy romantically as he stroked his lover's hair.
Jean munched on her popcorn slowly. "And it doesn't help that they're literally sprouting clichés."
Jean turned to face her best friend. "Scott, someday when you're in love and all that, promise me you'd never ever use cheesy lines like those."
"Come on, Jean," he replied with a mock-hurt look. "Do you honestly think I'll be saying something like 'You complete me' to a girl."
Jean shrugged. "You never know. Being in love-- it does things to people. It can melt even the most sensible guy's head into mush," she teased.
"Not me, Jean. Definitely not me."
Propping her head on her elbow, Jean didn't reply but wore a knowing smile that began to irritate Scott.
"What?"
"Someday you'll fall in love so bad that you probably can't help but be cheesy."
Scott can barely picture that scenario. There were some nice girls in school but none that he particularly like. Some girls occasionally flirt with him though. But Scott Summers doesn't respond well to flirts. He would get uneasy and then head for the nearest escape. Falling in love was something he's just not interested in. He doesn't have the time and he doesn't need the distraction.
"I'm just not into that kind of thing."
Then wanting to wipe off Jean's wicked grin from her face, Scott replied with a smirk, "But I guess you are. You seem to talk from experience. Any boys express their deep feelings for you lately?"
Jean rolled her eyes. "Express their deep feelings? Please."
Scott's grin grew. "You're avoiding my question."
"Nothing to avoid."
"Ah, but you're getting redder," Scott said in a gamble. With his red shades, it's hard for him to know if a person's blushing or not.
"Am not," she grumbled, her cheeks indeed flushing.
"Yes you are."
Jean yielded. "Fine. Duncan's been asking me out."
Scott made a face. "Oh, him. Honestly Jean, you can do so much -"
Jean cut him off with a glare.
"I mean, yeah, he's ok."
Jean hugged a pillow. "Whatever. Doesn't matter anyway. It's high school, you know? It's not real. Nothing like that." She nodded to the TV screen.
The two main characters are now dancing at a party as soft romantic music played in the background.
Scott snorted. "You call that real? We both know no relationship is like that."
Jean snuggled into the knitted blanket. "I know. But…It's just that even with all this crap we're watching, I want…I want to feel what's it like to be madly in love," she confessed softly.
Scott blinked at her almost wistful reply. "You'll find your prince charming sooner or later. You don't have to worry about that. Just drop the toads like Duncan and you'll find the right guy."
Jean didn't think Duncan was a toad but she let the comment pass.
They watched in silence for a few minutes.
"I've looked for love at all the wrong places when all the time it's just right in front of me."
"Oh Sherry, how can we be both so blind? It was you all along. Who knew I'd end up with my best friend?"
Scott rolled his eyes. "Best-friends-turned-lovers. How typical can you get?"
Jean glanced at him and smiled before facing back to the screen. "Yeah, typical."