Chapter 4

"Are you nervous, or something?" Kurt asked as he watched Scott pace restlessly. Scott was waiting in the common room, killing time before his date with Jean was to officially start; Kurt was simply there as moral support.

Scott glanced at the younger boy and half-smiled. "Yeah, or something."

"Well, you shouldn't be. This isn't really even a date," Kurt said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Scott snapped.

"Whoa, relax, Scott. What I mean is that the purpose of a date is to get to know someone, to see if you're compatible, right?" Kurt explained patiently. "Well, you and Jean are way past that point. You already know each other better than most couples, and you know you're compatible. To borrow a line from an episode of 'Friends' that was on the other night, it's like you're starting at the twelfth date."

Scott's brows furrowed as he pondered that possibility.

"See? The pressure's off," Kurt announced with a big smile. "The only thing left to worry about is when you're going to kiss her."

Scott blanched at the thought. "Oh, God."

"What's the matter? You do want to kiss her, don't you?" Kurt asked, clearly confused.

"Of course I do," Scott answered. "I just hadn't given the timing any serious thought. I didn't think it was anything I'd have to worry about for a while. But now....I just don't know if I'll have the guts to do it."

"Well, how long did you wait before you kissed Taryn?"

"I didn't have much say in the matter – she kissed me the first time."

Kurt chuckled at that. "Well, maybe if you're lucky Jean will make the first move this time, too."

"Doubtful. She's not like that."

"How do you know?" Kurt challenged.

"Because I know her, Kurt. She's not the forward type."

"Maybe not with other guys. But she has a very different relationship with you than she's had with any of the other guys she's gone out with. You never know," Kurt finished with a grin.

Scott didn't reply, busy playing out different scenarios in his mind. He was so preoccupied that he didn't notice Logan saunter into the room and drop onto the sofa.

"It's Friday night, don't you kids have anywhere to be?" he asked, commandeering the remote control and surfing the channels.

"I'm meeting the others at the Majestic later on. I'm just keeping Scott company until he leaves on his date," Kurt explained, missing the sharp look that Scott shot his way.

"Getting a little action tonight, huh, kid?" Logan said to Scott, only half-teasing. "Shouldn't you be picking her up, or somethin'?"

"He doesn't have to. He just needs to wait for her to come downstairs."

"Kurt," Scott said in a quiet, warning tone, implying for the boy to be quiet.

"Whaddya mean, 'come downstairs'?" Logan asked, suspicions raised. "Who, exactly, are ya goin' on this date with?"

"Jean," Kurt replied, ignoring Scott's glare.

Logan turned to pin Scott with a look that would have caused a lesser man to cringe in terror. Unfortunately for Logan, Scott knew him well enough that it didn't have the desired effect.

"Yer taking Jeannie on a date," Logan repeated, not making it a question.

Scott's jaw hardened and his lips thinned in defiance. "Yes."

Logan growled. "Like hell you are."

"Why do you think you have any say in this?" Scott challenged.

"I don't think I have any say, I do."

"That's bullshit, Logan, and you know it."

"No, kid, it's a fact. I'm tellin' ya, yer not taking Jeannie on a date, and that's it."

"Forget it. Your scare tactics aren't working on me. Why are you giving me such a hard time about this? She's gone out on other dates and you haven't said anything."

"I've had a conversation with every punk-ass who's ever come to pick her up," Logan informed him, his steely gaze never leaving Scott's face. "They were warned not to try anything or they'd find themselves strung up by their balls."

"Jean would kill you if she ever found out you pulled that shit."

Logan shrugged. "Sure, she'd be pissed. But a long time ago I promised to look out for her, and that's what I'm doing. I know what guys are thinking when they look at her, what they want from her," Logan told him then motioned at Scott with his chin. "Yer no different – ya want the same thing. It's my job to make sure ya don't get it. So go tell her that the date's off."

Scott stared at the older man in stunned silence.

"No," he finally said.

"No?" Logan repeated, as if unsure he'd heard right.

"You heard me," Scott said. "I'm taking Jean out tonight, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Logan opened his mouth to respond, but shut it as Jean entered the room.

"Hey," she greeted everyone. Then she smiled softly as Scott. "You ready to go?"

Scott didn't even spare Logan a glance. "Absolutely," he said, returning her smile.

"See you guys later," Jean called over her shoulder as Scott guided her out of the room.

Kurt glanced at Logan. Logan's hands were clenched into tight fists, and he was growling softly.

"Well, I'm off. Later!" Kurt said quickly before bamfing out of the mansion.



"Is everything ok?" Jean asked Scott as they walked out to his car.

"Sure, why?"

"Logan didn't look too happy, and I thought that I'd heard raised voices before I came in," she told him.

Scott debated telling Jean the whole story, but settled on the Cliff's Notes version. "Logan's not too pleased that we're going out tonight," he admitted with a tight smile.

"What? Why?" she asked, clearly surprised.

"He doesn't think my intentions towards you are honorable," Scott told her with a smirk.

"He what?" Jean demanded, stopping in her tracks.

"He's just watching out for you, Jean," Scott explained, knowing it was the truth.

"Who does he think he is, my father?"

"I just think he still sees himself as your self-appointed protector. That's the role he adopted when you first came to the Institute, so he's been playing the part for a long time. I'm sure it's hard for him to accept the fact that you're not a ten-year-old little girl anymore - that you don't need him the way you did back then."

Jean sighed, knowing that Scott was right. "I'm still gonna give him a piece of my mind," she promised.

Scott opened the car door for Jean and helped her inside. He got in on his side, and took a deep breath. Here we go.

~~

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