Jean and Scott

[x-jeangrey.livejournal.com]

Did anyone honestly think she wouldn't wait up for him?



Jean looked up from her book, staring into the middle distance. Yes, that was a flash of Graymalkin lane zipping by in Scott's mind. Jean didn't even bother looking at the clock, not really caring what time it was. She put her book down and headed towards the garage, hitting the door opener as she went past.

Scott gave a weary sigh as he got off the bike, pulling off his helmet. The shape in the doorway, backlit by the light from inside or not, was clearly identifiable as Jean even if he hadn't been able to sense that it was her. He glanced at his way, grimacing a little. "You shouldn't be up this late," he said tiredly.

Jean shrugged vaguely, crossing to where he stood. "Going to bed in a sec - just wanted to tell you I love you, even when we're both crazy." She leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek

Scott sighed again at the light kiss. "Even when I'm being a bastard?" he asked, following her as she turned and went back back through the door.

"Yep, even then. I'm funny like that." She switched off the light to the garage and locked the door for the night. "How about you? Still love me when I'm a bitch?"

"I'm attracted to the character trait, I think. Now, what that says about me..." he trailed off, the bantering tone a little weak.

"We're both crazy, yes," Jean agreed. "It works, for the most part."

"I figured it out, you know," Scott said offhandedly as they moved down the hall.

"Oh, yes?" Jean asked, glancing sideways at him. "Do tell."

"Pride. Here I thought I had tossed it all aside long since, but I held onto some of it. And that was the inspiration for the temper tantrum and the teenaged behavior." He offered her a limp smile. "I was having a Socratic moment out on the bike."

"We all suffer for our sins. Personally, wrath and I are frighteningly close these days. But I'm glad you figured it out."

"I really thought I'd done well yesterday," he said quietly, reaching out without thinking and linking arms with her. "Was actually patting myself on the back over it, believe it or not. Jay was calmer after we talked, and whisking Manuel and Dani out of here seemed like the best solution..."

"I don't agree with Hank, you know, that Manuel needed to be jumped on when he said that. But then, I have quite a deal of sympathy for psis stuck in an unhealthy mental atmosphere myself."

Scott looked sideways at her, thinking about how difficult it must have been for her, in the garage earlier, when he'd been unable to control himself. He stopped, turning to face her. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, leaning forward to kiss her, on the forehead this time. "Like I said, it was a tantrum. I fully admit that. I hope I didn't send you off to the Box for the evening..."

Jean leaned into the gesture, then smiled. "No, I went for a walk. Am trying to avoid relying on the box too much, and it was... less a problem of power control, and more some things that just needed thinking over."

"Ah. I managed to avoid a speeding ticket," Scott said, leaning back against the wall behind him for a moment. "Two accomplishments on the night..."

Jean laughed quietly. "Did you avoid it or did you talk your way out of one?"

"I refuse to answer on the grounds that it might incriminate me." Scott pushed himself upright and they started back down the hall again, heading for the stairs up to the staff floor. He reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently. #It's not morning yet, is it?#

"Pleading the fifth, best way known to man to make people think you're guilty." Jean smiled. #No, it's not. A few hours of dark left.#

"So I don't have to be him again yet." He stopped at the foot of the stairs, turning to her again. "I have a few more hours to be reckless. And selfish."

Jean was very curious about where this was going... "The night is yours, to do with as you will," she agreed.

He reached up, taking her by the shoulders. "I am tired," he said, as evenly as he could, "of worrying about everything. About having to analyse every move I make from six different directions for fear of screwing up again."

Resting a hand on his cheek, she said, "You know, I was starting to get that impression."

Scott took a deep breath, then let it back out. "I just don't want to hurt you," he said a bit heavily. "Any more than I have. I don't want to hurt you... but if I spend the rest of our lives tiptoeing around you, treating you like you're fragile... well, first of all, you're going to kick my ass up between my ears."

Jean smiled wryly. "I would say that was a distinct possibility, yes. How about I make this a little easier? Come to bed, Scott."

He met her eyes for a long moment. "That simple, huh?" His voice was softer, almost a caress. "After all this..."

"It can be," she said, leaning forward to kiss him softly. "If we let it, I think it can be."

"I have had," Scott said, his voice still soft but hoarse, "a hell of a time trying to do any of this without you."

"I'm sorry, but... I'm here, now."

"Don't apologize." His voice wavered a little, and he reached out to enfold her in his arms. "Never apologize," he whispered into her hair. "I was angry. I won't say I wasn't. There were so many times it just... choked me." He swallowed. "But I don't think I ever loved you more than I did when I saw you standing in front of the Blackbird holding back the water."

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding him tightly, not saying anything because there was nothing to say.

If it felt right, it could be right, he told himself. If he let it. "I want to see you happy again," he said softly. "I want to be happy, with you, again."

"I think the only things stopping us are us," she whispered. "I want to be with you, Scott. I always just want to be with you."

"Then let's go to bed." He gave a half-stifled laugh that was at least somewhat a sigh. "Shut the rest of the world out, just for the night..."

If they could change 'just for the night' to 'forever' it would be perfect, but Jean would take the moments of happiness that life offered her and they were both too responsible for that anyway. "Yes," she said, then kissed him again.