Scott and Jean-Paul

[x-cynosure.livejournal.com]

Jean-Paul stops by the garage to get advice from Scott on how he should proceed now that his sister has returned. Scott gives him a much-needed kick in the head.



Jean-Paul made his way into the garage, a plate in one hand, a cold hefeweizen in the other, and a hand-towel draped over one wrist as he scanned the rows of cars, looking for one set of legs in particular. Which one of these was supposed to be Jean's new competition? The something Romeo. Aha. There. Blue jeans and boots sticking out from under quite a lot of vintage metal.

Jean-Paul made his way over and knocked lightly on the hood of the car.

"Ready to come up for air, my captain?"

"One sec," came Scott's voice from beneath the car. "Just - there. Damn, that took longer than I expected," he said, rolling himself out from under the car and giving Jean-Paul a grin. To say the leader of the X-Men was a little grimy around the edges would be putting it mildly. "I've never worked on such a... venerable lady before. Ooo, you brought me food."

Jean-Paul dropped the towel into Scott's hands before he even considering offering the plate; Cammie was the only one in residence who should be taking random car secretions with her meals. "Toasted BLT on wheat." He leaned against the side of the car, examining it with a critical eye. "It is looking better. How close is it to functioning?"

"Another month, maybe?" Few people at the mansion would ever see Scott Summers looking quite this relaxed; the tension that was so often a part of him to the point where you could see it in the way he held himself was gone, and his grin was downright boyish. Wiping his hands, he sniffed appreciatively. "What did I do to deserve lunch in the garage? And how are you doing? I heard about the new arrival..."

"Currently asleep. She wore herself to nothing just getting here." Despite his words, Jean-Paul was practically beaming. "She is lucid, Scott. Not just for the moment, but she seems genuinely balanced. I have not seen her so at peace with herself in years. I do not know how she has managed it, but if I had her doctor in front of me right now, I would have to hug the man."

"I'm really happy. For both of you," Scott said warmly. Then the grin returned. "So this is glee-cooking, is it? There are worse ways to celebrate."

"Partially. I will give you advance notice: there will be cashew brittle in the kitchen shortly. If you want any, I would suggest showing up before Doreen and her sidekick. This, however, is mostly bribery, as I find myself in need of advice." Jean-Paul ruffled up his hair, his good mood retreating somewhat. "Jeanne-Marie intends to stay with me. The Professor seems amiable to her staying here. The question that comes to mind is whether or not I should stay here."

Scott nearly choked on the bite of sandwich he'd just taken. "I beg your pardon?" he asked, a little wildly.

"The school is not the most stable of environments." Jean-Paul had his arms folded over his chest and his gaze seemed riveted to the garage floor. "And I...well, for once, Jeanne-Marie is not the twin who is least likely to be trusted by herself for any length of time. Between the two...I do not want her to lose what ground she has gained because she came to help me. I am stunned that I have not set her back already, given what I have put her though since our bond reestablished itself."

Scott set the plate down. Beneath the grime, he was flushed, and his hands twitched at his sides as if the urge to reach out and smack the man across from him was nigh-overwhelming. "If you leave," he said, his voice very low and steady, "out of anything but an actual desire to be somewhere else... I will send the team after you." He nodded, looking more cheerful suddenly. "Yes. That's it."

Jean-Paul blinked, startled enough that he found himself looking up at Scott without deciding to do so. "You are serious."

"You're goddamned right I am," Scott said, and picked his sandwich back up, taking another bite and chewing it thoroughly before he continued. "So, in summary: don't be an ass. I will happily help you pack up your belongings the day you head off to pursue another worthwhile path in life, or decide that you just can't handle the place anymore... but yes, if you leave out of some misguided attempt to spare either us or your sister the burden of your presence, I will so hunt you down, kick your ass, and drag you right back here. Hell, I might not even bother taking the team."

"I was not thinking so much taking off on my own." Jean-Paul shifted his weight. "Between being a wreck myself and the Summer From Hell that seems to have settled over the place..." He let the thought trail off with a grimace. "Of course dropping everything and taking off with Jeanne-Marie worked so well last time."

"Not to mention, I suspect the lucid, balanced sister who flew all this way to see you might take exception to the idea. Given that you are still getting help here for what those bastards did to you." Scott set the sandwich back down, his expression serious, but the look in his eye no less vehement. "Don't jump to conclusions. If her condition's improved that much, she may very well be able to handle it here. And if you're looking for my opinion, this is the best place for you right now, and not just because of the telepathic therapy." His expression softened, and his voice was almost gentle as he went on. "So how about you relax a little and let the rest of us take a stab at taking care of you for a while, okay?"

"I do not want to leave." If that had been the prelude to a protest, more explanation, or any other collection of words starting with "but", Jean-Paul had the good sense to think better of it before opening his mouth again. He had asked for advice. Perhaps kicking against it just because it meshed with his own desires would not be the smartest thing. "Merci."

Scott decided not to actually say how relieved he was to hear that. "Good," he said, instead, then grinned crookedly. "The sandwich, too."

"I have to earn my keep over the summer somehow, non?" Jean-Paul had relaxed again. He pushed himself off of the car a moment later. "I am serious, you know. Monkey Joe will eat an entire tray by himself if it is allowed."

"Put me aside some that I can take down to Jean when she's on night shift tonight?" Scott asked with a grin. "Candy wins me points."