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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