Scott Summers

I tried not to be cynical. I tried to convince myself that going outside of my comfort zone wouldn't backfire. I tried to just let myself enjoy the night. And I did for a while. But, of course, things did backfire. I just didn't expect to run into Emma Frost, of all people, in here, of all places. Why? Well, because I'm an X-Man and a vigilante, and that meant my past, no matter how recent or distant it is, was going to come back and bite me in the ass.

This must be what Peter felt like, to a point.

"I'm surprised you're in a place like this," I said to Emma out loud, keeping my tone even. Not that it would have mattered – Emma would have picked up on how I really felt, with or without her powers. "I figured high society balls are more your speed."

"Not my usual scene, true, but Donald has always urged me to step outside of my normal routine and propensities every now again," Emma replied in a cordial tone that, had I not known her, would've sounded sincere. She scoffed. "But you have no room to talk, my dear. Was your favorite diner closed?"

"I was convinced to do something a little different."

Emma nodded before she looked past me and at Joanna. "Who's your friend?"

"Girlfriend," Joanna corrected curtly. I fought off the urge to sigh. "I'm Joanna. And you are?"

"I'm Emma Frost… an acquaintance of Scott here." I watched as she walked up to Joanna and looked her up and down. "I have to say, you're quite the tall glass of water."

Joanna tilted her head. "Thank you?"

"You're quite welcome, darling." She turned back towards me. "I hope for your sake she's tall enough to fill in the void left by Jean."

I scowled at her and directed my thoughts towards her, knowing full well she could "hear" them. That was unnecessary.

Au contraire, my dear, it was very necessary, she replied back. We could have had so much fun together, but you decided to go a different route.

And you know very well why I did.

"Look, I don't know what things are between you two, but I'm here for a good time," Joanna spoke up. "So, if it's all the same with you, Emma…"

"I was just leaving," Emma replied with fake sweetness as she tore her eyes away from me and put them on Joanna. "You have a good rest of the night." With that, she walked away. I glared as I watched her leave. I felt the right side of my upper lip raise in a sneer.

"You okay, Slim?" Joanna asked.

"…Yes," I lied. Somehow, I got the feeling she didn't buy it.

"You wanna bounce?"

"…Yes." This time, I was being truthful.

"Come on, then."

We left. We got into my Camry before I drove off.

"Take me home please," Joanna said. I sighed.

"I'm sorry the date was ruined," I replied glumly. Because of course it was – things were going too well for me.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Joanna turn her face towards. "I didn't say the date was over. We're just going to my place."

I glanced at her, confused. "Oh..." I looked forward. "Okay."

"Just know, though – there's some stuff we need to speak about."

I sighed. Of course there was.

After we arrived at her building, we got out of the car and made our way inside of the building's lobby.

"Hey Larry," Joanna greeted.

"Hey Joanna," the security guard said. He then looked at me. "I didn't expect you to have company. Have we met sir?" Despite my mood, I had to hold back the urge to chuckle. Of course we met. However, he saw me when I was in my quick change uniform. He was also looking up at me, as well as Spider-Man, Frictor, and Shadowcat after the latter pulled him into the ground.

"No, we haven't," I replied. I stuck my hand out. "I'm Scott."

"I'm Larry." He brought his hand out and gave it a shake. "Friend of Joanna's, I'm presuming."

"Boyfriend, actually," Joanna answered as I pulled my hand away.

"Quite the grip of you got there, son." Larry smiled. "You treat her right, okay?"

"I wouldn't dare to even think of doing anything to the contrary," I replied with a smile.

"Smart man, you are. Well, I'll let you two go. It's nice meeting you, Scott."

"Likewise, sir."

With that done, Joanna and I made our way to the elevator. The car was on the first floor, so the doors opened up almost immediately. We stepped inside, and Joanna pressed the button for her floor. I didn't say anything, still a bit upset over my run-in with Emma.

Once we reached the floor, I followed Joanna to her apartment. I hadn't been inside since the day the X-Men unlawfully entered. So it was a bit of a first to watch her unlock her front door and open it before she beckoned me inside. I walked in and looked around the place. It didn't look any different from last time.

"Take your shoes off and sit," Joanna told me as she removed her shoes. I did as I was told, taking my shoes off before I walked over to and took a seat on the far right cushion. I wasn't sure that Joanna didn't want some distance while we had our conversation. I heard the sound of something opening. Was it the fridge? "You want anything to drink? I got water, Gatorade, juice, beer…"

"What kind of beer?" I asked as I looked over my shoulder at her… and got a good look at her backside. I quickly looked forward, feeling a bit warm in the face.

"Guinness Nitro Cold Brew – it's pretty good stuff, if you're into beer made with coffee."

"I can't say I had that before, but I wouldn't mind giving it a shot."

"Okay." I heard the fridge close. Moments later, Joanna was walking around the sofa. She took the middle cushion, sitting right next to me. She then handed me a brown can. After I nodded thankfully, I cracked it open. After hearing the fizz, I took a sip. I swished the liquid around my mouth a bit, then nodded.

"I like it," I declared.

"Good," Joanna replied with a smirk. "I would have hated to see it go to waste." She cracked her can open and took a swig. After she lowered the can and swirled her drink. She looked straight at me. "So, let's not beat around the bush. What's the deal with you and Emma? I was led to believe you haven't dated anyone since your ex-wife."

"That is true," I confirmed.

"So, what was Emma? Was she a friend with benefits? Was she a sneaky link?"

"She was almost my girlfriend." Joanna raised her eyebrow. She then turned in her seat until her knee was on the cushion. She passed the beer off to her left hand as she rested her right forearm on the top of the couch. She beckoned me to explain. "After my wife and I split, and after Craig, Kitty, Carmilla, and I left what eventually became X-Force, I ended up meeting Emma here in New York. She was stuck on the side of the road. I, being an on again off again mechanic, stopped to help her out. After I did a decent enough fix for her to get home safely, we exchanged numbers. She took me out to dinner as a thank you a little later on. We got to know each other, eventually revealing to each other that we were mutants. The more we talked, the more I wanted to date her for real."

"So what stopped you?" Joanna asked. "Not that I'm complaining, but… she's a bombshell."

Despite the seriousness of the conversation, I couldn't help but smile slyly. "So are you," I replied.

Joanna gave me a glare as she tried to hold back her smile. "Flattery is not going to save you from this conversation." She then tilted her head briefly. "But thank you."

"You're welcome." I then got serious. "What slowed me down was me wondering if I really liked Emma like that or if I was just lonely. Plus, I was also wondering if I was going after her because she had some similarities to Jean. Like Jean, Emma's strong-willed, she's a powerful telepath, and had no problem pursuing someone she's interested in. Of course, that's where the similarities end, but still, I didn't want to treat her like a replacement goldfish, you know? If I was going to date her, I wanted to date her." I paused for a moment. "Am I making sense?"

"You are."

I nodded. "Good. Anyway, it was a good thing I dragged my feet a bit. I found about her affiliations to a certain social club. I… was not a fan and wanted nothing to do with them. So I broke ties with her altogether. She wasn't happy with me about that."

Joanna raised her eyebrows. "How mad was she?"

"Let's just say… I used to drive a Lexus LFA."

Joanna visibly cringed. "Not the Lexus LFA!" she groaned out. "Didn't they make only 500 of those?"

I scoffed. "Well, there're 499 now."

Joanna shook her head. "Well, shit."

"That's what I said."

She gave me a sympathetic smile. She then paused as her expression became solemn. I knew what she was going to ask about next. "And what about Jean?"

"Jean is out of the picture."

"Dead?"

"No… well, she was for a bit. But, then she became an avatar for a cosmic force. And now, she's somewhere out there in the universe." I looked off to the side in thought. "Or multiverse, perhaps." I looked back at Joanna. "It seems like travelling across different universes is all the craze nowadays."

Joanna eyebrows rose. "…So, let's add it all up, shall we?" she said slowly. She pointed at me. "You got enough power behind your eyes to atomize a skyscraper…"

"Right," I confirmed.

"But you can't control them because of a head injury."

"Uh-huh."

"Your parents are… no longer of this Earth."

"Yes."

"You're from Alaska."

"Mhm."

"And your ex-wife died, came back to life, and is now off in space on some Captain Marvel type shit."

"In a manner of speaking, yeah."

"And that's not even getting into all your exploits in the Air Force." Joanna scoffed as she shook her head. "You're one wild man, Slim."

"Says Frenzy," I retorted in jest before I took another sip of my beer.

Joanna chuckled as she shook her head. "Touché, Mr. Summers. Touché." She stopped chuckling as she became serious. "…You know Scott, tomorrow is not promised today. I don't know how long this thing between us is going to last. Maybe we'll fizzle out in a few weeks' time. Maybe we'll get married with kids and grow old together." She paused as she frowned. "Not that I'm thinking about marriage now. I'm just saying that this thing between us can go a million different ways. Am I making sense?" I nodded. Joanna took in a breath before she continued. "It's just… I have a question. Let's say, one day, Jean comes back from space, right? And let's assume we're still together by then. What I want to know is… will I have to worry about you leaving me for her?"

"No," I whispered out.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Look… Jean and I… we got a lot of memories together – some good, some bad, none I'd be willing to change. And what we had is not something I'll ever have again with anyone." I raised my left hand as I turned my body to fully face Joanna. I placed that same hand on of her right hand and wrapped my fingers gently around it. She stared at our hands for a moment. She looked back at me. I couldn't get a read on her expression. Still, I continued. "But I'm not looking for a repeat of Jean and I. You and I? We are our own thing. And I want to see what this thing becomes." I smiled at her. "And like I said before – you're the only person I'm dating, and it'll be that way unless we break up, which I hope doesn't happen."

Joanna continued to stare at me. She then smirked. "Good answer." She brought her hand free hand up and beckoned me to come closer with her index finger. Without hesitation, I leaned over, and we shared a kiss. The kiss was brief. Joanna pulled away. There was a certain look in her eyes. Without saying a word, she took the beer out of my hand before she turned and placed it down on the coffee table along with hers. She then turned back to me before she kissed me again. This kiss wasn't brief. It was long, it was intense, it was hungry, and it brought out a certain side of me I don't usually show.

I leaned forward. I put my right hand on her shoulder. I felt her chuckle against my lips as she lay back, pulling me on top of her. I chuckled back as we continued to kiss. Our hands started to roam, touching areas what were past second base. This time, it was me putting my tongue in her mouth. After a couple more minutes of kissing, Joanna broke the kiss once more before she looked at me pointedly.

"…So what we doing?" she whispered.

"I…" I trailed off. I was about to make my intentions known before I realized something. I groaned as I placed my head against her shoulder. "…Joanna, I'm sorry… but I don't think tonight is the best night."

"You're not still hung up over what happened with Emma tonight, are you?"

"No." I raised my head and looked at her with a look of embarrassment. "…I just don't have the proper safety measures."

"Are you talking condoms? I got them on deck."

"No. Good to know, but no. It's just… I don't have the proper glasses."

Joanna stared at me in confusion. She then mouthed an elongated "Oh" as it dawned on her. She then chuckled. "Wow. Mister 'I Don't Give My Plans Letters Because It Implies I Only Have Twenty-Six At Any Given Time' wasn't ready for this to be a possibility."

"I wasn't," I admitted, feeling even more embarrassed. "I didn't think we'd be doing this. So, I just grabbed my normal pair of glasses instead of the pair I use for exercise. Had we been at my place, it wouldn't be an issue." I paused for a moment. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I really do want you, Jo."

"Oh, I know," she quipped. To emphasize the point, she moved her hips, grinding against me. I took in breath, trying not to relish in the feeling. I then glared at her.

"You're not right for that."

"Slim, you were feeling me up while we were making out and got me all excited. If anything, it serves you right."

"I'm sorry!"

"It's not your first time doing that!"

I laughed, a bit dumfounded. "When was the first time?"

"Palm Springs, when you gave me that backrub!" She looked off to the side as she pouted. "It was unfair. By the time you were done, it took all of my willpower not to rip your clothes off you – literally." She looked back at me, still pouting. "Like, my dude, you barely gave me a cuddle!"

"You think you weren't making it hard for me?" I shot back. "You were lying face down on the bed, wearing nothing but some shorts that would have made a Hooters waitress get a call from HR. Plus you kept on moaning. I had to be the small spoon so you wouldn't feel anything."

"Well that's what you get for being great with your hands."

"And that's what you get for enjoying the massage a little too much."

We went quiet as we stared at each other. We then burst out laughing. As we did, I placed my forehead against hers. She brought her right on the back of my head and scratched my scalp gently.

"We're being childish, aren't we?" I said after our laughter calmed.

"A bit," Joanna agreed. I raised my head and looked at her. She gave me a sympathetic smile. Her right hand slid from the back of my head down to my cheek. "Be honest with me. If you had the right pair of glasses, would you have gone all the way with me tonight?"

"Joanna, I've been wanting you since Palm Springs. Had we been in some room that was reinforced to take a lot of punishment, maybe I'd give it a go – though I'd still be reluctant since I don't want to risk hurting you. But, as it is now, I don't want to do anything that would risk blasting a hole through something… or someone."

Joanna smiled. "Like, I know that should be deterring me and all… but seeing you caring about other folks and stuff is just making me even hornier." I raised my eyebrows, not even knowing what to say to that. "Don't judge me!"

"I'm not," I promised. "I'm just… caught off guard, that's all."

Joanna glared at me. "Uh-huh." She then chuckled before she stole a kiss from me. "…You know, the night is still young. The way I see it, we got two solutions to our little problem."

I tilted my head. She had my curiosity. "And what are those two solutions?"

"Well, solution number one, I can wrap a blindfold around your eyes – glasses and all – and you'll have to settle on your other five senses."

"And solution number two?"

"We can take it back to your place. After all, the kids will be out all night, won't they?"

I nodded. "They will." Of course, that was assuming something didn't ruin their night.

"So what do you say?" Joanna asked, stroking my cheek with her thumb.

I took in a breath. "I say…"