Scott and Alex, Tuesday evening

[x-cyclops.livejournal.com]

Scott calls Alex to give him the good news. There's considerably less glee. Alex is not doing all that well in Lorna's absence.


Scott settled into the armchair, dialing Alex's number. He was not as excited at the prospect of telling Alex as he should be, all things considered. But for all that, he could hardly not tell his brother.

Alex had just gotten out of the water, board under his arm when he heard his cell phone ring from his bag. Running the few feet up onto the beach, he plopped down on the sand and flipped the phone open, after brushing shaggy, wet, blonde hair out of thw way. "Aloha."

"Aloha yourself," Scott said with a chuckle. "How was the surfing?"

He couldn't help himself, he grinned when he heard his brother on the line. "Alright, about average. To what do I owe this honor?"

"You'll never guess where I just got back from," Scott said, keeping his voice deadpan. "Vacation. Just a little one, mind you."

He was shocked. Really. "Dude! You? Took a Vacation!? Damn, what are they doing to you while I'm gone?" Alex couldn't keep the laugh from showing in his voice.

"Brain transplant," Scott explained cheerfully. "But I'm recovering quite well, really!"

"Must be for such a radical change. So is that what you've called to tell me or have they fixed your small eye problem as well?" Alex couldn't help the small hint of apprenhension that creeped into his joking. Maybe Lorna had contacted the mansion...?

"Well," Scott temporized, "I wanted to catch up with you. It's been what... uh, too many days since I called," he admitted ruefully. He should have called last week, but there had been those days lying around generally whimpering at the world... "I was, uh, out of the country the middle of last week, then resting up a bit..."

"So I read big bro. Pull a Nathan?" He couldn't help but snicker but under all of Scott's stalling, Alex could tell he had something important to tell him. He'd been the same way when they were little. "Come on bro! I know you have something important to tell me...spill!" If anyone asked, he would not admit to having his figners crossed in hopes of word from California.

"I, um. Well. Asked Jean to marry me," Scott said, finally telling himself to just come out and say it.

There was silence on the whole for a good few long moments before Alex just spat out, "You did what?" Then he took a quick deep breath. "Wait, don't answer that. I...I'm happy for you."

Oh, yeah. There was the reaction he'd been fearing. "Thanks," Scott said quietly. "It was kind of spur of the moment... I know, spur of the moment from me, further evidence for the brain transplant. Or maybe I'm just a pod person?"

Alex just sighed and mentally kicked himself. "Scott, don't. Don't try and explain it to me. I know she makes you happy and that's good enough for me. Really. I still love you the same, lunkhead."

Oh, well, that was reassuring. "I just... wanted to tell you," Scott murmured, "before you found out about it from someone else. Not that we're making a big deal of it. Umm..." He flinched a little, thinking about Betsy.

"Thanks bro. Wish I could be there to congradulate you in person." He raised a hand to rub his temples where a headache was starting to form. "So set a date yet?"

"Good God no," Scott said almost in horror, then laughed a bit helplessly. "We're not in any rush, Alex. It was just... the right time." He sighed, rubbing at the bridge of his nose.

Alex sighed and bent his head as he picked at one of his toenails to distract himself. "Yeah...I guess I can understand that..." Suddenly his loneliness got exponentially worse.

"How are you doing?" Scott asked more gently.

Not wanting to rain on Scott's parade, Alex forced a smile and hoped it showed in his voice. "I'm feeling fine, really. The surf and sun do wonders for homesickness."

"Have you heard from Lorna at all?"

Alex bit his lower lip, squeezing his eyes closed tight in an attempt to not sound totally depressed. "No."

"I'm sure she's just gotten caught up with things at home," Scott said, fighting the urge to track Lorna down at her cousin's or wherever the hell she was and shout at her. What on earth could be going on?

"Yeah...that must be it." Though his voice proved he thought otherwise, but he wasn't going to burden Scott with his problem. "It's not like I need her here to babysit me anyway...I...I can do this by myself. If she doesn't wanna be here...then she doesn't have to be." Yeah that was REAL convincing Summers...

Oh, damn it. "It's okay to be disappointed by this, you know," Scott said quietly. "You don't have to put on the tough face. Not with me."

Fuck..."Look i'm sorry, you called to tell me your happy news and I made it all depressing, I'm sorry, bro. I am really happy for you and Jean and wish you both the best as long as she makes you happy..." Change of subject anyone?

"Thanks," Scott said again, more softly. "That means a lot." He knew it for what it was, an attempt at a subject change. "So," he said, trying to force some lightness into his tone. "How are your classes, then?"