FIC: it's in his kiss (that's where it is)
Title: it's in his kiss (that's where it is)
Fandom: X-Men comics
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~850
Characters: Phoenix (Jean Grey), Cyclops (Scott Summers); Phoenix/Cyclops
Continuity: Set after the arrival of the second team when Jean was living in an apartment in NYC with Misty Knight.
Summary: Jean contemplates life, love and Aretha Franklin.
Disclaimer: Characters mentioned are used without permission and are trademarks of Marvel Characters, Inc. I do not own them and am simply borrowing for my purposes. Please don't sue.
For spirit0fstlouis.
(pimped to beyondx , _fanfics_ , xfiction)
Jean hummed along with the radio as she danced in the shower. Her morning smile, a bit dimmer than her others but still sincere, grew into a full fledged grin when Aretha came onto the radio. Almost involuntarily, she began to sing along. Not too loud, of course, Scott was catching his after-briefing nap and she knew how desperately he needed some shut eye. (And, no, it had nothing to do with the fact that she couldn't carry a tune to save her life.)
Grabbing her loofa to use as a microphone (because imitating the Queen of Soul of course demanded a microphone) she held it under her chin with over-dramatic gesticulations. And flair-got to have the flair. "Does he love me?" Jean struck a pose. "I wanna know!" Another pose. "How can I tell if he loves me soooo?" She giggled, shaking her head wildly, spraying water and shampoo onto the sliding glass doors. God, it was too much fun. She remembered fun...
With a frown, Jean scolded herself lightly for getting all depressing and angsty over nothing, careful not to project. That would really defeat the whole not-waking-Scott thing and she'd be damned if it was going to be over something so stupid. Because it was nothing, damn it! She'd been an X-Man-- one of the original five. If the others could cope, then she could cope. No matter how man headaches and nightmares she got. Nothing was going to stop her, especially not her own self-doubt!
"Oh, oh, oh honey!" she murmured more than sang. "Squeeze him tight!" A few images of Scott from last night flew through her mind and her lips tipped back into a smile again. Yeah, they were going to have to do that again soon. She wiped the steamy glass and glanced at the clock. Very soon. "Find out what you wanna know! Promise love and if it really iiiiis..."Jean was full-on grinning now as she did a careful spin with her loofa. "It's in his kiss!"
She felt Scott stir in her mind and she flipped off the radio with her telekinesis. Jean wanted him to have every last moment of sleep he could grab, knowing full well he got almost none at the mansion. They each needed the other more than either could admit. And living apart, well... it was hard. But he was still leading the X-Men and she wanted some time and independence. That was just the way things were. Just the way life was. Hard.
After drying off for a few moments, she slid the glass door open and stepped out. Brr. Goosebumps formed on her arms and legs but she ignored them. Wrapping one large, fluffy towel snuggly around her body and another turban style over her hair, Jean opened the door to the bedroom and watched the steam billow out. Hmmm, apparently her luxury shower had taken longer than she meant it to. Misty was going to kill her when the water bill came.
Ignoring that, she watched her sleeping beau lie instead. He muttered something quietly and turned over toward her side of the bed. With a small smile, Jean lifted herself an inch off the ground and used her telekinesis to move silently over to him. She landed gently on the bed, smiling fondly down at him. He was so beautiful when he slept (not that he'd appreciate the adjective). It was like seeing the part of him he hid from the world-- the young orphan carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. And it was beautiful to her.
Gently, she leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. Her touch was so light, she wasn't sure if he felt it until he stirred again. Scratching his head lightly, Scott was obviously still half asleep, even with his goggles on. An adorable lopsided grin formed on his face as he sat up. Letting out a yawn, Scott exchanged his sleep goggles for his usual sunglasses as he asked, "What was that for?" in a way that reminded her that he still wondered what it was he'd done to deserve her.
Silly boy, didn't he know that she was the one who lucked out? Jean smiled at him again, beginning to towel dry her hair. "You were you," she replied, peering coyly at him through her eyelashes. "Isn't that excuse enough?" Not waiting for an answer, she pulled him to her and gave him a passionate kiss on the lips. "Mmm... you're good at that," she told him with a wink, tossing her towel aside and flipping her hair out of the way. "So, gonna squeeze me tight, Scott Summers?"
Scott just smirked in response before relieving her of her remaining towel. Jean shrieked as the cool air hit her body but those cries were quickly quieted in favor of more pleasurable noises. And, as they lay next to each other, breathing heavily and smiling, Jean couldn't help but think back to Miss Aretha. Is it in his eyes? Oh no! You need to see! If you wanna know, if he loves you so, it's in his kiss! She kissed him softly as he drifted off again. That's where it is!