xp_logs | Kurt and Jean, Sunday evening

Jean comes to visit Kurt bearing tea and they talk about his life, hers, and romance novels.

Kurt was, for once, not in the gym or the woods or doing anything else active, but sitting quietly on his couch with a book. He glanced up, surprised, at the knock on the door, and got up to open it.

On the other side of the door Jean stood with two steaming cups of tea. She smiled. "Hey. Are you busy? It'd been awhile since I've seen you so I figured I should stop by to show I'm not entirely a Lab Hermit."

"Certainly not too busy for a friend", he said, smiling back, then looked at the cups. "Especially not a friend bringing tea that smells so good."

Jean laughed. "It's called 'Moroccan Mint Green Tea,' I just bought it. Haven't had a chance to try it myself yet," she held up one of the cups.

"Would you like one?"

"I would love one." He beamed at her, then stood aside. "Please, come in, sit down."

Offering him one of the cups, Jean smiled back and gave him a nod. "Thank you, kind sir," she said, the smile widening into a slight grin as she took a seat in one of his lovingly well-worn chairs. "So, how have you been?"

She beat him to the chase.

"I was about to ask you the same thing", Kurt said with a touch of amusement, settling into one of the empty chairs. "And I am... very well, honestly. I heard from John recently, it seems things may be slowly starting to come back to him, and otherwise I am happy. You?"

Taking a sip of her tea, Jean brightened at the news. "That's great. I'm glad to hear it. Do you think he'll be returning?" she said, then nodded.

"I'm good," she said, then smiled in afterthought. "Better. I think things are finally starting to go back to normal," she said. God, she hoped she didn't just jinx herself.

"He may well, in due time", he with a nod. "He spoke about Catseye - not by name, but that he had been dreaming of a purple cat and wanted to know what it meant, so I hope soon he will be ready to return, at least to New York if not quite to live here with us. Things certainly have been much more peaceful lately, Slendermen aside."

"Oh," Jean said, reflexively rubbing her temple. "That was a fun migraine," she said.

"And a prime reason why magic makes me wary...if they can make us believe they don't even exist...what else is out there?"

She shook away the thought after a few moments. "It sounds like he's making progress, though. I know we're all trying to give him time...hopefully whatever the source of the amnesia is it's easily reversible."

The mere indirect mention of Catseye gave her hope.

"They tell me no physical reason has ever been found for it", Kurt said with a slight shrug. "Which suggests it has the psychological trauma of the graduation incident behind it, and that will heal in its own time. Or, even if not... he seems content enough as John, and he is alive and well. If he never fully regains Nick, perhaps it would not be so terrible."

Jean put her cup on the table, resting her chin against her steepled hands.

"Maybe."

Her own experience with prolonged, trauma-induced amnesia had left her with conflicting emotions. She didn't know what to think, and it brought
with it an avalanche of memories.

"Can we please change the subject?"

"Of course", he agreed readily, though concern had come to his eyes just at the request, which he was sure hadn't been made lightly. "So tell me more of how things have been for you. It has been too long since we caught up."

Jean laughed helplessly. She had hoped the new subject wasn't going to be her. "Um...." she said, rubbing her nose. "I've been....in lab mostly when
I'm not training. Not much to tell really."

Kurt tilted his head at her with gentle inquiry.

"Oh? Little time for... other pursuits?" Scott's face flashed across his surface thoughts, though he wasn't being unsubtle enough to bring him up
expressly. Yet.

The flash gave Jean pause, and she plucked her cup from the table, focusing her attention on it as she took another drink with a smile.

"Uh....that is...no. I suppose a lot of us are buried in our work."

"But work cannot be everything, my friend", he said, meeting her eyes over the top of his own cup. "Even if sometimes it is very tempting to
bury ourselves, there must also be a life outside."

"I think that's what makes us perfect for one another," Jean mused, doing away with the layers of pretense and moving to the core of it.

"Or it did."

Kurt nodded slowly. "But that brings problems of its own, as I think you have learned now. Limited time together, certain things never being spoken..."

"I know," Jean said quickly. "We're fine. We're getting there. It's just going to take time."

She glanced down, shaking her head. Why did her conversations with friends as of late always turn into something uncomfortable?

"So what are you reading?"

"And that is all I needed to hear." He glanced down and picked up the book. "Um... The Hero and the Crown. I think Jubilee left it here."

"Oh?" Jean said, nodding. "What's it about?"

"A princess named Aerin", he told her. "I am not very far in, but she seems quite an interesting character. A strong girl."

"It does sound like an interesting read," Jean said.

"I'm actually also reading about kingdoms and princesses." And the moment that left her lips she realized she probably shouldn't have said anything given what most of the novel was about.

"Oh? Which book is that?"

The question made Jean cough on her tea and she covered her face with her hand, grinning. "Uh..." She took a moment to compose herself.

"It's called....'Dragon Actually.' It's a uh....romance novel."

Kurt snorted, eyes dancing with amusement, and took a calm drink of his own tea. "Ah, that kind of romance novel. Well, far be it from me to tell you what you should read."

Jean straightened, the grin still on her face. "Well, now that my secret's out....I feel better. Yes, I do read trashy romance novels. And I like them. So there."

"Everyone is entitled to their secret pleasures." He smiled. "I promise I will not tell anyone."

Jean shrugged. "Thanks," she said, the grin turning into a smirk. "But if this turns into blackmail material later I know where you live."