Chapter 1

Jean was on a mission. She searched the rooms of the Institute one by one, until finally finding who she was looking for in the upstairs corridor.

"Hey," she greeted Scott with a big smile. "I've been looking for you."

"You found me," he replied, smiling back. "What's up?"

"It's snowing," she answered simply, smiling and taking him by the hand.



There was something magical about walking through a world newly blanketed in white. The snow seemed to absorb sound, resulting in an ethereal quiet. They walked in silence, save for the crunch of their boots in the snow. Jean's arm was linked through Scott's and she leaned against him gently, both for warmth and for the simple comfort of being with her best friend.

"I miss this," she said softly, not wanting to break the spell.

"Miss what?" he questioned just as softly.

"This," she repeated, hugging his arm to emphasize her point. "I miss us."

Scott smiled down at her and disengaged his arm from hers, slipping it around her shoulders instead. "Me too. Life's gotten pretty weird. It seems like we never get to spend any time together anymore."

They continued walking, Jean's arm curled around Scott's waist and her head resting lightly against his chest. "Sometimes I really wish it was still just the two of us here," she admitted. "Not that I don't love having everyone around – they're like family, and they're wonderful. But I miss how simple it used to be, y'know? Back when you were just Scott, my best friend, not Cyclops, leader of the X-men."

"I'm still your best friend," he reminded her with a gentle squeeze.

"I know, and I'm grateful for that," she said, then chuckled. "Really, you have no idea. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"That's not something you'll ever have to worry about," he assured her.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"No matter what?" she pushed in a tone of voice that instantly raised Scott's suspicions.

"Well sure," he said thoughtfully. "But it would depend on whether or not you could forgive me."

Jean's confusion was the opening he was waiting for. He spun around, catching sight of the snowball Jean had telekinetically created as they'd been talking. He snatched it out of the air with one hand, and looped his other arm around her waist. Then he shoved the snowball down the back of her jacket, knowing from her shriek that at least some of it had made its way inside her sweater.

"Son of a bitch!" she howled.

Scott was laughing too hard to hold on to her as she frantically tried to reach the snow that was melting down her back. She unzipped her down jacket and threw it to the ground, and then un-tucked her sweater from the back of her jeans, hoping the snow would fall out as she hopped up and down. Scott finally regained enough control to wrap his arms around her again from behind, laughing into her hair.

"I've known you too long, Red," he murmured with a grin. "Your sneaky ways are legendary, and I saw that one coming a mile away."

"Oh you did, huh?" she challenged, spinning around so that she could see his face.

She froze. She and Scott were mere inches apart, so close that his warm breath puffed against her face as he struggled to regain his hold on her. She'd been just as close to him on countless occasions, especially during training sessions, but it had never before caused butterflies to do cartwheels in her stomach. Her sudden stillness must have registered, because Scott pulled back far enough to look down at her face. What he saw in her expression she didn't know, but it caused his brow to furrow.

"Jean –"

"God, I'm freezing. Let's go inside for some hot chocolate," she said in an overly chipper voice, breaking free of Scott's hold to scoop up her discarded jacket. She looked back at him and saw that his confusion remained. She ignored it, instead grabbing his hand and dragging him back towards the mansion.

She didn't notice the smile of comprehension that slowly appeared on Scott's face.


*****


The Xavier Institute's library was Jean's favorite room in the mansion, and she escaped to it whenever she had the chance. She was glad that the other students seemed to prefer doing their homework in their rooms, or in the common room downstairs. That meant that most of the time Jean had the library to herself.

That was where Jean had chosen to sequester herself for the evening. She was curled up in an overstuffed arm chair, basking in the warmth of the grand fireplace. Her laptop computer sat open on the table next to the chair, her mostly-finished essay open on the screen. She was re-reading the last few pages of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

This could have been my life, she mused. If the Professor hadn't saved me, I could have spent the rest of my life in an asylum. The thought was sobering.

She could sense Scott's approach before he actually appeared. Jean could feel his nervousness washing off him in waves, but also his determination. He was also projecting, and she could clearly hear him thinking, *You can do this. You can do this. It's not a big deal.*

When he entered the library, he walked purposefully towards her and stopped directly in front of her. She smiled and opened her mouth to greet him, but he cut her off.

"Go on a date with me."

Jean stared at him in stunned silence, not believing he'd actually said what she thought he had.

"What?" she squeaked, unable to form a more eloquent reply.

Scott took a deep, calming breath. "I'd like to take you out. On a date. A real date."

She was so surprised, all she could do was blink.

"Friday night. Dinner and a movie," he elaborated.

Jean blinked again, and opened her mouth only to discover she couldn't speak. She closed her mouth again, and then opened it with the intent of saying something. But no words would come. She was sure she looked rather ridiculous.

Scott didn't waiver. He continued to stand less than two feet away, staring down at her.

"Ok." Jean could have sworn that was her voice she heard, but didn't remember speaking. But from the grin that lit up Scott's face, she knew she had, in fact, just agreed to go on a date with him.

"Great," he announced, his relief evident in his voice. "We'll leave here at 7:00."

"Ok," she said again, at a total loss.

He was beaming. " 'K. I'll let you finish up your paper, then. G'night, Jean."

Jean stared at his retreating form and as he closed the door behind him, she finally managed to say, "G'night."

What the hell had just happened? Had she really just agreed to go out on a date with Scott Summers? He was her best friend – what was she thinking? For that matter, what was he thinking, asking her out in the first place?

"I don't understand what just happened here," Jean muttered to herself, shaking her head in disbelief.

She'd had what she referred to as a "revolving crush" on Scott since they'd met. It would materialize at the oddest times and then disappear. Then it would reappear, turn her world upside down for a few weeks, and disappear again. She was so used to it after more than five years that she hardly paid it any attention anymore. She'd suspected once or twice that Scott might be dealing with the same feelings towards her, but he'd never made a move.

Until now, she reminded herself.

Jean had always regarded her feelings for Scott as the result of simply desiring the familiar – the safe person you know will always be there for you. They'd been through so much together that it would be natural for them to be drawn to each other. Except that little incident in the snow the other day had gotten her thinking again, and she'd been reevaluating her feelings. Sure, she'd entertained the possibility of dating Scott, especially since her breakup with Duncan (and what she'd ever seen in him, she'd never know). She just never thought that Scott would be interested in dating her.

Guess that shows how much I know, she told herself.

~~

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