Heavy things won't fly (August prompt for fandom_muses)
Heavy things won't fly
And the sky might catch on fire
And burn the axis of the world
Scott is standing in the ruins of the mansion. He looks at the burned-out walls, at the shell of a Sentinel that Wolverine gutted. He picks up some pulverized brick, runs it through his fingers.
"Why did you let this place die?"
He doesn't have to turn around to know the voice, yet even without turning around, he sees her descending, sees the Phoenix silhouette as though it's burned into his retina. "I didn't let it die, Jean." Scott still doesn't turn, but now she's in front of him, and the words that come from his mouth ring with an anger he didn't know he felt. "You let it happen. You weren't here."
"Oh, Scott. . ." She steps toward him, out of a halo of fire, and it's Jean's voice. Just Jean, wearing that silly blue jacket and pillbox had she had on the first day of school. "Oh, baby, don't blame me." She reaches out and puts a small hand on his chest. "You get along very well without me."
"That's not fair." He looks down at her hand. She's touching his chest, which is covered with leather, those old uniforms they've hardly worn in years. "I get on without you because I have to."
"I don't think so." Jean's fingertips start to glow. "I think that deep down you like me better like this."
"No," Scott says. "No, of course I don't." His breastbone is growing hot from her touch. "I miss you," he says, and as her fingers grow warmer, smoke starts to rise from the point of contact on his chest. "I miss you, Jean. Logan misses you, too."
She puts back her head and laughs. "Oh, you boys!" She laughs so hard that tears form on her cheeks. Long brilliant tears that glow with the same golden hue as the end of her hair. "You boys tell that story to each other, how much you miss me. But it isn't true, Scott. You're more afraid of what I could do than of a hundred thousand enemies." She presses her lips to his forehead, just as her whole chest catches fire. "I'd burn your world, Scott Summers. You and your boyfriend both know that."
And in his sleep, Scott cries out.
And the sky might catch on fire
And burn the axis of the world
Scott is standing in the ruins of the mansion. He looks at the burned-out walls, at the shell of a Sentinel that Wolverine gutted. He picks up some pulverized brick, runs it through his fingers.
"Why did you let this place die?"
He doesn't have to turn around to know the voice, yet even without turning around, he sees her descending, sees the Phoenix silhouette as though it's burned into his retina. "I didn't let it die, Jean." Scott still doesn't turn, but now she's in front of him, and the words that come from his mouth ring with an anger he didn't know he felt. "You let it happen. You weren't here."
"Oh, Scott. . ." She steps toward him, out of a halo of fire, and it's Jean's voice. Just Jean, wearing that silly blue jacket and pillbox had she had on the first day of school. "Oh, baby, don't blame me." She reaches out and puts a small hand on his chest. "You get along very well without me."
"That's not fair." He looks down at her hand. She's touching his chest, which is covered with leather, those old uniforms they've hardly worn in years. "I get on without you because I have to."
"I don't think so." Jean's fingertips start to glow. "I think that deep down you like me better like this."
"No," Scott says. "No, of course I don't." His breastbone is growing hot from her touch. "I miss you," he says, and as her fingers grow warmer, smoke starts to rise from the point of contact on his chest. "I miss you, Jean. Logan misses you, too."
She puts back her head and laughs. "Oh, you boys!" She laughs so hard that tears form on her cheeks. Long brilliant tears that glow with the same golden hue as the end of her hair. "You boys tell that story to each other, how much you miss me. But it isn't true, Scott. You're more afraid of what I could do than of a hundred thousand enemies." She presses her lips to his forehead, just as her whole chest catches fire. "I'd burn your world, Scott Summers. You and your boyfriend both know that."
And in his sleep, Scott cries out.