Nathan and Jean Paul

[x-cynosure.livejournal.com]

Nathan gives Jean-Paul a respite from his injuries and notes some trust issues with telepathy.



Jean-Paul hadn't slept much the night before; finding a comfortable position had seemed to take forever. Awake, he could keep his neck in a comfortable position; sleeping, he kept popping awake and the meds only did so much. He finally gave up around sunrise and retreated to the couch with a bowl of lehua honey ice cream and the first season of Rome for company, radiating pain and grumpiness all over the suite.

"I appreciate that show," Nathan said idly from the kitchen, where he was busy investigating the coffeemaker, "but the sex is a little gratuitous." He eyed the way Jean-Paul was poking at the ice cream, and frowned.

'The sight of James Purefoy oiled up and naked is the only thing keeping me from extracting a terrible vengeance against the living.' He looked over his shoulder, turning his head gingerly. 'Filters are by the tea canisters. Left cabinet, second shelf. There should still be some beans in the freezer. Grinder's built into the machine.

Nathan blinked and cracked a brief grin at Jean-Paul's first comment before he followed the directions and set about getting the coffee ready. "You know," he went on as the beans were grinding, "there are many things which, as a telepath, I do quite poorly or not at all. But I am passable at suppressing pain for short periods of time." For anyone but myself. "Far be it from me to interrupt if you're actually just into playing with the ice cream, but I could probably make sure you could eat it without being in agony."

'Cold foods are supposed to help with the swelling.' Jean-Paul turned around, elbows propped up on the back of the sofa. 'I don't suppose you could get me to the point where I could enjoy a decent meal instead of the baby-food-and-ice-cream-diet?'

"Can't really do anything about the swelling, unfortunately. That'll take care of itself, thanks to your impeccable mutant metabolism." Nathan smiled again, a little more faintly. "Speedsters are terribly impatient, you know? I spent several years noticing that with my friend David."

'I've never noticed any such thing. The rest of the world is just terribly slow and needs a good kick in the ass.' Jean-Paul considered, then nodded. 'I would appreciate the assist. I'd like to be able to have at least one pleasant thing going for my recuperation.'

Nathan nodded, then stared at Jean-Paul for a moment. A completely non-physical sensation of warmth situated itself inside Jean-Paul's skull. There was a not-quite-visual aspect to it, as well, like golden light shimmering in the peripheral vision of Jean-Paul's inner eye. The light was darkened slightly, as if shadows were mixed up in the sunshine.

The discomfort in his throat abruptly eased.

"There," Nathan said, not quite briskly.

That's it? The speedster only just managed to keep himself from speaking aloud. The mental discipline that Nate had been teaching him wasn't enough to keep the surprise out of his 'voice'. 'I was expecting...' Well, he'd been expecting it to hurt, he supposed; for it to get worse before it got better. '...something different. Merci.'

Nathan gave an odd, slightly pained smile. "Telepathy doesn't always have to be a brute-force instrument. Or invasive in a painful way. I'm glad I could help." He turned back to the coffeemaker.