Scott and Jean, Tuesday at noon

[x-cyclops.livejournal.com]

Jean wakes up after sleeping off the headache from the previous night's incident with Paige. Scott has been watching her all night, and is perhaps a little grumbly about his apparent thing for women with things for unscheduled periods of unconsciousness.


Jean blinked up at the ceiling, trying to decide if the headache was enough gone. The clock on the bedside table said it was nearly noon, so it was a very good thing they'd offered to cover her shift today, as well, if she needed it. But the headache seemed mostly gone. She could see again, and could think. Jean wasn't quite willing to try 'pathing someone, but she powered off the inhibitor, and the return of her powers didn't bring back the pain.

There was a noise from beyond the slightly-open bedroom door, and Scott appeared, looking unshaven and a little rumpled, and very much as if he hadn't slept all night. He stood in the doorway, gazing at her for a moment, and then came over to the bed and sat down. "How's the head?"

"Mmmm, much less wanting to bash it against the wall until it stops hurting. And I can see again, without wanting to stab my eyes out, so I think this is progress." Jean reached up to push her hair out of her way, and blinked at Scott. "Did you sleep at all?"

Scott shrugged, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I meant to. But you kept not waking up."

Jean's eyes narrowed at him. "Yes, that's why they call them sleeping pills." Well, ok, the medication had probably worn off about six hours ago, but the stabbing pain behind her eyes had still been there, so Jean had forgone the waking up thing.

"I watched you for a while. Then I wasn't in any mood to sleep, so I took the laptop out to the living room and did some work." He glanced at the bedside clock, eyes blinking a bit owlishly behind his glasses. "... and, appear to have misplaced several hours. On the other hand, I did get quite a bit of necessary paperwork done."

"Scott..." Jean said, managing to sound both exasperated and fond at the same time. "Not sleeping actually worse than forgetting to eat, you know."

"I never claimed to have broken any of my bad habits. Besides," he said, the smile coming back, if a little uncertainly, "I was kind of distracted. I don't like it when you do the unconscious thing."

"I was only properly unconscious for a couple minutes, this time," Jean pointed out, reaching over to clasp his hand. "Hence being here in bed, instead of down in the lab."

"Still." He squeezed her hand gently. "You know, I really need to have a coma at some point. Just a little one. Fair is fair." His lips twitched. "And it would be so restful..."

Jean arched an eyebrow at him. "That could be arranged..." A little grin tugged at the corner of her lips.

"I just bet it could. And that you'd enjoy it. Possibly a little bit too much." He leaned over and kissed her. His expression was a little solemn as he leaned back, the joking mood gone as he gazed down at her.

Jean had to let go of his hand to push herself up into a sitting position, moving carefully lest the headache come back. "At least this time I ended up unconscious in a good cause?" she offered weakly.

His smile was a little tight, this time, but he squeezed her hand again as he rose. "There is that. She's doing much better - I went down and saw her yesterday evening."

Jean's eyes followed him, curious. "And...?"

"And?" Scott asked, going over and pulling back the curtains just a little. Not enough for the bright sunlight to reach the bed, since he wasn't going to bet that Jean's eyes weren't a little light-sensitive, but enough to brighten the room. "I'm not sure I like these curtains," he said. "They're kind of heavy."

"We can replace them," Jean said, contemplating the floor and standing and whether or not vertical was a good choice. "And...? I know you better than that, Scott. What's up?"

"Hmm? Nothing, don't worry." He wasn't absolutely sure she was a hundred percent, although at least she didn't seem to be actively in pain anymore. He'd felt it down the link for most of the night.

"Riiiiight. Let's try that one again, Scott. Don't make me come over there, because I'm not sure I'll make it but I'll damned well try."

Scott looked around, raising an eyebrow. "You get out of that bed and I'll put you back in there myself."

"Any other day, I'd take you up on that challenge," Jean told him. "Except you keep changing the subject."

He shrugged, irritably, but then came back over to the bed, sitting down on the edge. "I worry," he said, straightforwardly. "I know things are improving, but then something like this happens, and it's like everything coming crashing down again, even if it's just for a few minutes."

As long as it wasn't actually standing, Jean decided, she could probably move her legs. Sliding over to sit next to him, Jean sighed softly. "You want the 'yeah, I know, I'm sorry' comfort answer, or all the reasons why this one was different?"

He smiled, just a little. "I wasn't really looking for any answer, Jean. You were the one who wouldn't leave it alone."

"Well, yes, there is that," Jean admitted. "I don't like making you worry, and I never mean to..."

"I just want you to be all right," Scott said. "I know it's going to take time, and I know you're working on it, and that I really can't do much to help." Whoops, hadn't meant to let that slip out. He shrugged. "Doesn't mean I have to enjoy the whole panicked charge to wherever you happen to be when this sort of thing happens."

"You know you don't have to do the whole panicked charge. Not that I don't appreciate it... well, I'm usually unconscious, so I don't know about it, but I appreciate it in theory. But... I haven't broken yet. I'm going to do my best to continue not breaking."

"Right," Scott murmured wryly, to her first comment. "I'll just ignore the fact that we're joined at the brain and assume someone else will take care of things. Because that would be so me." But he shook his head, reaching out to lay a hand over hers. "I don't think you're going to break. It just hurts to see you getting this bruised."

"Hey, it was worth a shot," Jean said softly. #I love you. You're far too good to me, you know, but it's just one more reason I love you with all my heart.#

"Love you too," Scott said - and then yawned so widely his jaw cracked. "Ow. Even when I yawn in your face."

"I would say it is definitely time for you to be asleep, love. And since we've covered that if I get out of bed, you'll put me back in, it seems you will have company." Jean leaned over to kiss him.

"Afternoon naps," Scott muttered, shifting over and settling back against the pillows as Jean rearranged herself beside him. "Going soft. They're going to take away my workaholic's certification."

"Never happen. You've got a lifetime membership to the workaholic's club."