Lorna/Paige, Lunch

[x-polarisstar.livejournal.com]

Lorna brings Paige lunch. They discuss having a torrid lesbian affair. Really.
Backdated to the 27th



Soup. Fresh bread. Grilled cheese sandwiches. Whipped cream that had never seen the inside of an aerosol can. Strawberries and where Lorna had gotten those so outrageously out of season would always remain her closely guarded secret. Fixing things always meant food to Lorna. A great many things meant food to Lorna and part of learning to cope was learning to make those associations good ones instead of scary ones. Sharing with a friend made that easier. Caring for a friend, easier still.

Lorna knew that Paige wouldn't actively seek help from anyone. And Lorna didn't intend to actively offer it anyway. It was simpler to give the younger girl exactly what she needed without comment--someone there to lean on. Someone to lean on her. There were probably those who would have insisted that Paige needed to be give permission to grieve, encouraged to express her emotions. Those people, in Lorna's mind, were idiots.

"Paige, my darling, I know you're in there. Open up, this is heavy."

It was an interesting sensation to be greeted by one advanced science book or another atop a body; friends of Paige got used to it after the first couple of times. So much so that Lorna practically breezed past as the door was held open for her just long enough and then closed behind. There was a pause, and finally a pair of dark blue eyes peered over. It seemed she'd finished her chapter.

"For me?" Paige asked, already reaching for a Sticky to place on her page.

"Us. Sharing is good for me." Lorna's green eyes were utterly guileless as they met Paige's blue. It had the advantage of being true after all. "I made soup. It's very good." That also had the advantage of truth. She held up the metal tray which was indeed heavy though not terribly onerous for the magnekinetic. "Take a break in your quest to become Google and index all knowledge. Have lunch with me."

"Just because it's sharing with you. Google is winning, you know." Something had flashed in Paige's eyes a moment – a darkness before the crack of lightning, a tightening – but she was smiling now, truly, and clearing the coffee table, setting pillows on the floor. She couldn't be bothered to care about what would people think of her, currently. "That, and. Well. Lorna soup. I am without defense against you."

Since there was nothing in Lorna's expression but affection, it was hard to say how much of this was straight manipulation and how much was very much her needing Paige. "Of course Google is winning. They cheat by having a staff of 9000 people. And in India too. So, you know. Cheaters. Also robots." Lorna set the tray down and sank onto the pillows next to Paige. "Soup and sandwiches. It's like comfort food but good for you. Which is crazy and stuff."

There was a quick jaunt to the kitchenette where Paige grabbed bowls, salad plates, spoons, but the food was put out as quickly as she could manage without spilling onto the carpet. "You spoil me. Us. Thank you. I bet if I asked really nice Forge could make me into a half robot thing. Danger, danger. You'd have to change your name to Will, though. Oh! I made a pop culture joke!"

"Only thirty years out of date too. Cain would be so pleased." Lorna smiled and gave Paige a hug around the shoulders. "I think I like you better not as a half-robot. Unless you went for a Seven of Nine look. Because then the hotness of you would be preserved."

The pouting only lasted as long as it was before the hug; Paige snuggled in quite comfortably, ripping off a piece of her sandwich to pop into her mouth. "I was the Girl Terminator that one time. No one seemed to have a problem. Well, except my poor, poor ankles."

"Yes, yes you were and there was hotness." Lorna grinned and spooned up a bit of her soup. "I remember the general population of the mansion being impressed by all that red leather. I was kind of impressed that Alison already owned the whole outfit."

"The word you're looking for is terrified, but I can understand how you'd get the two mixed up," Paige teased, cautiously blowing on a spoonful of her soup before trying it. "Oh wow, you outdid yourself. This is really good. You didn't have to, I would have said just a loud a yes to a hug, but. I appreciate it. Again. Um, repetitiveness may be a symptom of four hours of sleep a night, make note."

"I like cooking. Even if the eating part and I are having a bit of a tiff again." It was a soft admission, one of those things that was said lightly but delicately, like it or she would shatter if taken too violently. "Besides, I can spend more time with you this way. Hugs are good but short."

Paige nodded towards Lorna's gently nibbled on meal, a point with her chin. "That's a start. I'm proud of you," she said, turning her head to nose into her shoulder, arm around her waist in what she hoped was a comforting way. "If you wanted, I mean, you could, you know, come back tonight. Or I could come over. It's a big place with just me and. Yeah."

Lorna smiled and hugged her a little tighter. "I'd like that. A lot, really. It's been a long time since I've had someone there. I mean, I can hang out with David a lot but people already think we're dating or whatever and I really don't think we should be encouraging those kinds of delusions. Particularly when..." Lorna bit off 'his girlfriend can and would kill me with her pinky finger', "when I've just gotten out of a relationship," she amended.

"You always have me, you know. Alison..." Paige started, before she saw, and felt with the tightening of her throat, that no more needed to be said; it wasn't that she blamed Al for moving, but it still sucked sometimes. "And, if you decide that you miss the whole rumor mill thing, I can slip out of your room at all hours of the morning in tiny sleeping slips. That's how much I adore you."

"Oooh, scandal. Lesbian scandal even. We should encourage that. It could keep the mansion occupied for days." Lorna smiled even wider and hugged Paige tightly. "Maybe it would kill the David rumors too."

"There are never enough lesbian scandals around here. Tons of girl-boy and boy-boy, but seriously lacking in the girl on girl action here," Paige pointed out logically, as only she could, fully allowing herself to be hugged and food forgotten for the moment. "And my currently explode-y "life partner" is very understanding about any girl on girl action I might partake in, so that solves that problem."

"It's a shocking oversight in the Xavier's recruiting, the lack of lesbians. Poor Shan. Jono a very understanding life partner." Lorna nodded approvingly. "Being understanding about girl-on-girl action is an admirable trait. He has really nice hands, too."

There was a blink. And then two. "I... uh. Yes. Yes, he does," Paige finally managed, observing Lorna with the oddest look on her face.

Lorna smiled sunnily, "I noticed that a while ago. It's a musician thing, I think. They always have the best hands. Did he take that massage class that they offered a couple years back?"

"You're a hand girl," Paige stated, a grin just starting to curl her lips. "Jono's more of a learn by doing sort of person, either by his lonesome or in pairs, and I've yet to have any complaints. If you have something that's... bothering you, I'm sure he could assist me, though."

Lorna's grin turned just a bit scandalized and a blush crept into her cheeks. "So what if I am," she said loftily and tickled Paige lightly, "That is a totally shocking offer. Does he approve of you loaning him out like that to random persons? And no, I don't have anything that's ...bothering me. I'm perfectly content." Which was why she was clinging to one of her few friends like the world would end otherwise. Sure.

There was a tiny 'eek' followed by a giggle, as Paige swatted mildly at Lorna's wiggling fingers. "Well, you're very attractive. And I'd be there, since I don't like to share, as hypocritical as that is. Oh, and you're very attractive and he's a boy. So, as soon as he can, you know, be solid for any amount of time without causing massive amounts of destruction..."

Lorna laughed and hugged Paige again, "A most charming offer. Should I discover that anything is bothering me, I will keep in mind that you're pimping out yourself and your life partner for my benefit. Sign of a true friend I say." She sighed a little and nodded at the set up on the coffee table. "We're wasting the fruits of my labor."

"I'd give a little bow, maybe accept some flowers of appreciation, but I'm comfy," Paige returned sagely, nodding as an accent to the fact. "And have to eat. Hard to give speeches when you're eating. Did I mention I love you? You give me hugs and you feed me. And you're hot and awesome. Never let go, Jack." She paused, then grinned. "See how I did that? Two for two on the pop culture references! I'm on a roll, baby."

"And this even from your lifetime. I'm so proud." Lorna laughed and extricated herself just enough to grab a strawberry from the bowl on the table. She tapped Paige on the nose with it. "Thanks, Paige."

"You're welcome." Paige wrinkled her nose, before, lightning fast, nipping a small piece of the fruit into her mouth and chewing. "Everyone should know how hot they are when they're as hot as... you are. Wow, it's a good thing I'm not an English major."

Lorna just giggled and ate the rest of the strawberry herself, "You have many other talents. We'll forgive the lack of English skills. Because if you had those too then I'd have to hate you for being perfect and it's way more fun to not."

Paige nodded animatedly. "My flaws are endearing! Except when they make me insane, that's less fun. When you think about it, Professor Xavier must spend a fortune on couch talker bills."

"That's why we have that fine, fine health care plan, my darling. So that it's the insurance company that gets hit and not our dear Professor." Lorna grinned and tapped Paige on the nose. "Believe me, it really would be a pretty fortune if he did have to pay it."

"Money confuses me," Paige admitted with a sheepish grin. "Or at least. I tend to get distracted away from it and things like budgets by very large and complicated lab doings and whatnot. Mm. Complex equations." She paused and blinked. "Wow, I have no idea what we were talking about."

"Lunch," said Lorna firmly. "And then later we can talk about the insanely cool lecture I went to on planetary magnetic field morphologies."

"...You're my hero," Paige uttered breathlessly, resting her head on Lorna's shoulder. "I'm also going to call you Jack in all my emails from now on, you realise."

"Whatever you say, Rose."