Jean and Alison

[x-jeangrey.livejournal.com]

On her way home after finishing work for the night, Jean catches Alison actually outside the medlab. They don't talk, and it works for them.

Backdated to the 21st.



Jean yawned, stretching her arms up over her head as she made her way upstairs. Her shift was over and heading up to bed sounded like an excellent thing. Especially these days, when Maddie was... less than thrilled by the idea of just chatting. The quiet non-thoughts of the school at rest filled the air around her and Jean was too tired to keep them all out, which was how she picked up on the not-so-sleepy thoughts. Detouring into the kitchen, it didn't take more than a few minutes to make up a pair of mugs of hot cocoa and Jean headed for the back porch.

"Hey," she said softly, stepping outside. "How are you doing? I come bearing cocoa, it being a bit late for coffee..." Jean offered Alison one of the mugs.

"Huh?" It took Alison a few seconds to process the words, though she was already reaching for the cup automatically, relishing the sensation of heat once she realized her hands had been left cold by the night's breeze. "I... okay, I guess. I don't know." She pulled the cup close to herself and breathed in the warm scent of hot chocolate. "Thanks for the cocoa. It smells divine. And you? How are you?"

"Tired," Jean said with a shrug. "It's late. You still up for a reason, or...?" She leaned against the porch railing, sipping at her cocoa and considering Alison.

"Couldn't sleep." She watched the steam drift up from the mug idly, smiling faintly as she shook her head. "Actual insomnia, as opposed to overloaded with sound hyperactivity. Got tired of staring at the ceiling so I figured I'd just come down here and stare at the sky instead." Somewhere, somehow, there was the faint hope she'd hear Haroun on a flyby as well, she knew. Not that it would happen. Not that.

"Well, it is a better view," Jean said. "He's doing very well," she added, and it completely failed to be a change of topic. "I know you hear it a lot from all of us, but it is true."

"I know. It just doesn't look that way from the outside sometimes," she added, speaking out her thoughts easily. It was just simpler that way, really. "At least he's woken up now. That's... reassuring. Somehow." She finally took a small, careful sip of the hot chocolate, closing her eyes and savoring the taste for a moment. "There's just been so much lately. Haroun, my father, then Lorna..." And that was just the big stuff. "Kinda feel like a ping pong ball."

"It has been a very, very rough month. Everytime it starts to look like things are starting to make sense again, life sucker punches us." Jean sighed, not meaning to sound so down. "But you're holding up well. We all are, really."

"Yeah." She wasn't all the time, but Alison supposed she was allowed the occasional breakdown in the privacy of a room which was very much devoid of Haroun at the moment. "Hey. There's room here..." Alison trailed off, patting the place beside her, shifting a bit to grant Jean some room.

Keeping the breakdowns to occasional definitely counted as 'well' to Jean's way of thinking. If it had been Scott... Her mind shied away from the idea as she moved to join Alison. There wasn't much that needed to be said, really, and the silence was comforting in its own way, so Jean simply sat, being with Alison.

Without a second thought, Alison tilted to the side a bit, leaning sligthly against Jean. It was habit really in the presence of someone she trusted, most particularly when in times of stress - and if anything, this was a time of stress, and seeking comfort of even the simplest kind as a touch was something Alison just... did. "Thanks for coming out. And the hot chocolate."

"Anytime," Jean said simply. "Anytime."