xp_logs | Hank, Jean, Sunday night

After making his revelation to Madelyn, Hank has retreated to his room to hide. Trying... and failing... to distract himself with cartoons and icecream, he inadvertently attracts Jean's attention with his chaotic thoughts. She offers support, encouragement, and help finishing his icecream.

Jean stretched her arms up over her head as she walked back towards
her room - it had been a good workout, and she was feeling much better
about getting back in shape. She let a hand fall back to massage her
neck, feeling the beginnings of a stress headache. For a second she
was unsure what was bringing it on - the background noise of the
mansion had become something she was at least fairly used to - but
when she concentrated it became clear. Oh, God... Oh, God! Ohhhh,
God... The mental voice seemed to keep swaying back and forth
between hope and pure terror, with stop overs in disbelief and a
vaguely sick feeling. And it sounded like Hank.

Well, his room was on the way to hers. She continued down the hall and
stopped in front of his door, tapping on it. "Hank, it's me. Are you
ok?"

There was a pause. "Not really," he called back. "Come on in, though."

He was in the bedroom, sitting crosslegged on his huge bed, with a
large tub of icecream in front of him, watching cartoons with a rather
fixed expression. "C'mon in," he said, as she came into view, waving
her over with his spoon. "I told her. I am now attempting to distract
myself from thinking about it. It's not working." He gave her a rather
rictus-like smile. "Also, I'm a little incoherent..."

Jean sat next to him on the bed, wrapping her arms around him and
giving him a hug. "Well, you seem... uncertain, but not sad. And the
distracting isn't working, I can tell. Want to tell me what happened?"

He hugged back, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Well, I told her,"
he said softly. "After I told her that I'm adopting Danielle's baby."
She stiffened a little and he paused. "Oh. I didn't mention that, did
I? I'm adopting Dani's baby."

"No," Jean said slowly, "you hadn't said." The joy in his thoughts and
the slight worry were quite apparent, and Jean knew how much Hank
wanted children. "I'm glad for you, Hank, and I think it's a good
solution. I know Dani's been worried about how she would support the
child, but I hadn't understood why she stopped worrying recently."

Hank nodded. "Anyway, I told her that, because obviously she should
know that before committing to anything, and then I told her that I...
care for her." He took a deep breath. "And that Kurt cares for her.
We've talked, and... he does. It wouldn't have been fair, for me to
try to sneak in ahead just because words come more easily to me. And I
told her that I didn't want this to harm our friendship, whatever she
decided, and that I would give her time to think about it. Then... I
more or less took to my heels."

Jean leaned her head on his shoulder, thinking it over. "You're a good
man, Hank. A better person than I am..." But, no, Elisabeth was a
forbidden topic, and before Hank could say anything she asked, "Did
you give Madelyn a chance to say anything?"

"No. I... I did spring it all on her very suddenly. Including the part
about Kurt." He hugged her gently. "I thought it was best to give her
time to think it over before saying anything."

"Hmmm..." Jean said, considering, then lifted her head to look him
square in the eyes. "Did you tell her that?" she asked, worried
that he had blurted it all out and then run off, remarkably like one
of their teenaged charges.

"Yes, I did. I told her that I would go, and give her some time to
think this over, and asked her to please let me know when she's ready
to do so. Then I fled." He smiled ruefully. "The plan is to wait
either in or under my bed until something happens."

Jean sighed, but smiled at him. "With ice cream? You did good, Hank,"
she said, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I have faith that Madelyn's a
clever woman, and will see what a great guy you are." The Kurt thing
was a complication, true, but it was up to Maddie to decide what to do
about it.

"I can but hope, now." Hank sighed. "But Kurt, too, is a great guy.
And he's been interested for longer than I have, and they have a past,
and... well." He sighed. "At least, if all I've done is facilitate
matters for them, I'll be able to comfort myself with my intact
self-respect."

"The ball's in her court, yes," Jean agreed, "and I know the waiting
isn't easy."

"It really, really isn't. But at least it's done, now..." He smiled,
giving her a gentle hug. "Thank you for prodding me into it. Although
if things don't go well, it'll take me a while to be able to
appreciate that it's better so."

Jean hugged him back. "For now, want some company with your cartoons
and ice cream?"

"That would be much appreciated." He sighed. "Do you really think I
have at least a chance?" he asked wistfully. "With her?"

"I really do, Hank. And this is not just me being your friend here. I
think she likes you."

"I hope so." He smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and
offering her the tub and spoon. "Icecream? Chocolate fudge ripple, one
of your favourites."

Jean curled into her friend's grasp. "I've never turned down fudge
ripple in my life, and I've no intention of starting now," she said,
taking the spoon with a smile.