Ok, a tiny warning: the first part of this chapter is probably a little more…mature than PG-13 (I'm still a little iffy on the whole ratings system thing). There's nothing too graphic, mind you, but it's definitely more adult, so I felt I should include a warning. Please read responsibly! : )
Chapter 16
Scott ran his hand along Jean's side and down over the soft swell of her hip. Her leg was hitched up and draped over his thigh, one of her hands on his khakis-clad ass, urging him closer. He obliged, rolling slightly so that he was on top of her, cradled between her thighs. They both groaned softly at the intimate contact, and Jean threaded her fingers through Scott's hair to kiss him harder. Without conscious thought, Scott shifted his hips, rotating gently to increase the pressure he so desperately craved. Jean gasped and released his lips, arching her body and reveling in the new sensations Scott's movement had produced.
"Oh God," she whispered, eyes closed and head thrown back against the pillow.
Scott kissed her exposed neck and repeated the motion with his hips, and was delighted when Jean shifted her hips to counter-match his movements. They repeated the move several more times, the excitement building in them until Jean gently rolled Scott off of her so that they faced each other.
Ever so slowly Jean's hand slid around over Scott's hip and tentatively slipped between them. He sucked in a breath as cautious but curious fingers danced over the front of his pants, up and down his hard length, and he bit his lip to keep from thrusting into her hand.
"Jean," he rasped, before reclaiming her lips.
Emboldened by his response, Jean cupped him fully and squeezed gently. This time Scott couldn't restrain himself, and thrust his hips forward with a soft grunt.
*That feels so good,* he sent to her, unable to bring himself to break the kiss. She responded by stroking him more firmly, and Scott thought he would lose his mind.
"Jean, stop – please," he begged, pulling away from her.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said quickly, confused. "Did I hurt you?"
"God no," Scott choked out a laugh. "It just felt too good."
Realization dawned on her and she blushed. "Do you want me to keep going?" she asked shyly.
"God I love you," he chuckled and kissed her deeply. "Yes, I'd love for you to keep going; but I don't want this to be a one way street, so until you're ready to let me reciprocate, we'll stop before things get out of hand."
"No pun intended," Jean said wryly with a smile. Scott laughed and kissed the tip of her nose. "You're not disappointed, are you?" she asked softly.
"It would be impossible for you to ever disappoint me," he told her, looking into her eyes.
Rapid knocking on Scott's bedroom door startled them both.
"What?" he called from the bed, not wanting to leave Jean's arms.
"Scott, we, like, need a favor," Kitty called.
Scott sighed dramatically and let his head flop down onto the pillow as he rolled onto his back. "Who's 'we' and what kind of favor?"
"Me and Amara. There's, like, a totally huge sale at the mall this afternoon, and we, like, don't have anyone to drive us," she replied from behind the closed door.
Scott groaned in frustration, and Jean giggled. "What are you laughing at?" he demanded. "If I have to go, you're coming, too." He then called to Kitty, "Fine, be ready to go in 20!"
"You're, like, totally awesome, Scott! Thank you so much!" Kitty squealed and they could hear her run off down the hall calling, "He said he'll take us!"
"You're a good man, Scott Summers," Jean said and kissed him before climbing off the bed. "I'll meet you downstairs."
Scott and Jean strolled through the mall hand-in-hand, unhurried; they still had a couple of hours to kill before they were to rendezvous with the younger girls. They browsed in a couple of clothing stores, but didn't see anything worth buying. Wandering past a card shop, Scott eyed the garish decorations – hearts and cupids and teddy bears galore – and wondered what he should get Jean for their first Valentine's Day together. He was a little disappointed, and apprehensive, that they'd be spending the whole holiday weekend with Jean's family, as Sara's wedding was on February 14. Still, he was determined to make the day special for the two of them; he just wasn't sure how to accomplish that.
Jean dragged Scott into a huge bookstore, her favorite shop in the mall. Scott found Jean's passion for books charming. The very first day he'd met her, she'd informed him that reading was one of her favorite pastimes, and though he hadn't been able to see the expression on her face, he had clearly heard the silent challenge daring him to make fun of her love of reading. It was only later that he learned Jean's defensiveness was a result of constant teasing, first by her mother and sister calling her a bookworm, and then by her schoolmates who considered her bookishness just another attempt at being a brown-noser or teacher's pet. Scott watched now as Jean poured over the newest science books, sitting cross-legged on the floor as she worked through the stack of books she'd removed from the shelves. He listened attentively as Jean excitedly summarized the topic of each book, even though most of it over his head; he just loved to watch how her face lit up as she spoke of the latest scientific breakthroughs, her passion evident. Jean finally selected several to buy, then they moved on to the art section, where Scott helped her choose between two very expensive coffee table books of Monet's paintings as Sara's wedding gift from the two of them. Finally they worked their way through the fiction section, where they found a number of novels to take home with them. They then grabbed coffee at the in-store Starbucks stand and continued their meandering trip through the mall.
"Oh, before I forget, let's go into the pharmacy. I need to get some makeup to wear for the wedding," Jean said making a face as she steered Scott through the entrance.
Knowing that it could be a while before Jean had selected what she'd need, Scott wandered aimlessly up and down the aisles, eventually finding himself standing in front of the contraception section at the back of the store. He glanced at it warily, as if the boxes had somehow drawn him there without his knowledge or permission. With a quick look over both shoulders to make sure no-one he knew was nearby, Scott returned his focus to the products in front of him. After their make-out session that morning, Scott was fairly confident it wouldn't be too much longer before Jean was ready for the next step.
Better safe than sorry, he told himself as he scanned the labels on the boxes. His brow furrowed. Why are there so many damn choices? You'd think a condom was a condom. What the hell's up with all the different styles? He finally made his choice, and plucked the box off the shelf.
"Whatcha lookin' at?"
Scott whipped around at the sound of Jean's voice, hiding the condoms behind his back. She was trying to peer around him, and Scott kept shifting to block her view.
"Nothing interesting," he tried to assure her.
"Then why won't you show me?" she asked with a pout. Scott regarded her suspiciously, knowing that tone of voice all too well. The pout was becoming harder for Jean to sustain, the corners of her mouth twitching as she fought the smile that was trying to emerge.
"You're enjoying making me squirm, aren't you?" he asked with a scowl.
Jean finally lost the battle and grinned widely. "Yup. You were thinking really loudly, Mr. Summers."
Scott blushed and shot her a dirty look, causing Jean to laugh out loud. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be making fun. You're just so cute when you're caught with your hand in the cookie jar, or so to speak." She stood on her tip toes and kissed him lightly.
"You're not mad?" he asked.
"Why would I be mad? You're doing the responsible thing and thinking ahead," Jean told him with a shrug.
"I just don't want you to think that I'm assuming anything…"
"Scott, I told you it would only be a matter of time before it happened," she told him in a quiet voice, not wanting to be overheard. "And especially after this morning, you're not being presumptuous, you're being responsible. Isn't 'Be Prepared' the motto of all good Boy Scouts?" she teased.
Scott scowled at her again. He hated being referred to as a Boy Scout, and she knew it. It was something Logan had started years ago, and to Scott's dismay the label had stuck.
"But you can put those back," Jean told him. "We don't need them."
Scott looked at her questioningly, but did as he was told.
"I'm on the Pill," she admitted softly.
Scott's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You are?"
Jean nodded. "I've been on it for years – but for medical reasons, not as birth control," she explained quickly. "So we're covered."
Scott looked at her for a long moment. "Do you find it strange that we're even having this conversation?"
Jean chuckled softly. "Yeah, it's a little bit odd. But don't they say that if you're not mature enough to talk about sex, you're not mature enough to have it?"
"That's not what I meant," he said quietly. "I mean, this is us. We're discussing birth control, and we're planning to sleep together." Scott reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently. "I guess I just can't believe that we're really together – that this is all real."
Jean smiled up at him and squeezed back. "This is real," she assured him. "You and I, we're real. And for the record, I've never been happier."
Scott couldn't speak right away, his emotions were so close to the surface. *I love you,* he sent to her.
*And I love you,* she replied, her smile radiating from her eyes. *Never doubt it, and never forget it.*
~~
Feedback for the poor, feedback for the poor! Please give feedback to the poor!
(In case I'm not being clear, I'm "the poor" in question.) ; )
