Survivors Nineteen
Previous bits are here.
Part Nineteen/??
The room wasn't spinning but Scott still thought that he'd had a beer too many. He hadn't done this in forever. There was always his students and the team, and he'd preferred to spend his downtime with Jean. Telepaths weren't much for drinking so he'd refrained, too.
Everything was softer, blurred by alcohol but also by the company. They'd gotten a lot done on the mansion that day and while he was tired he was also pleased. He liked teaching and he was proud that he and his team made a difference in the world, but there was something especially satisfying about doing work with his hands that he could touch and measure.
A glance over Xander showed him that the other man was smiling and he couldn't help grinning back at him. They'd been talking and drawing out their break until it had lasted for hours.
He looked over at Logan and even he was smiling. He'd objected to the beer at first, saying that it was just like having sex in a canoe and wanting to know where his imports had gone. Xander had told him he was welcome to drive to the city to get his fancy schmancy beer, and had pointed out that this was his idea in the first place, and Logan had shut right up.
Xander twisted his beer bottle around in his hands. "Maybe beer isn't all bad, after all."
"Beer's never bad until the morning after," Scott said.
Logan just looked smug. "I wouldn't know."
"You just might," Xander said, pointing at the number of empties littering the table they were sitting at.
"Healing factor," Scott said in disgust.
"That's cheating!" Xander crossed his arms over his chest.
"Who's cheating?" Willow and Kennedy looked in from the doorway.
"Logan won't have a hangover."
"If you stop drinking now, you won't have one either," Kennedy pointed out.
"It's not the same."
Willow laughed at him, walking over to the fridge and opening it up. She pulled out a couple bottles of water and put them on the table. "Do yourself a favor and have some of this too, OK?" She touched Xander's shoulder, then walked back over to join Kennedy in the hall.
Before they walked away, she looked back at Logan and at Scott. Her glance only touched him for a moment but Scott still felt its weight. She smiled. "Have fun."
Scott stared through the doorway after she was gone. It might have been the beer confusing him, but that final smile had felt like approval.
Logan pushed away from the table. "Be back."
"Fine. Cheater."
Logan laughed at Xander's accusation and just kept going.
Scott watched Xander open up a bottle of water. "Decide beer was bad after all?"
"It's a good idea to listen to Willow," Xander said. "Even if this beer isn't going to turn anyone into a caveman."
"A what?"
Xander told him a story about enchanted beer and frat boys turned into actual cavemen. He was funny and enthusiastic, self-deprecating and willing to amuse Scott at his own expense.
Scott couldn't help laughing and he thought to himself suddenly that Jean would have liked him. She would have liked his humor and the affection that he had for his friends.
"So you weren't a caveman," he said as Xander finished the story.
"No. I was already working under-aged. I didn't want to risk my job any more than I had to by drinking on the job, too. That, and I've never been cool enough to drink with Greeks. Get drinks dumped on me by them, maybe, but-"
"You're more than cool enough," Scott argued.
"I've grown into my dorkness," Xander said comfortably.
Scott shook his head. "You're not a dork."
"Are you trying to tell me construction workers can't be dorks? It's like you just can't stop discriminating against me."
"No!" Scott was laughing through his protests, remembering alcohol had a tendency to make him giggly. Another reason he didn't indulge much - team leaders shouldn't giggle. But Xander laughed all the time and seeing other people laugh made him happy. "I didn't mean to do that, you know. I didn't understand."
"Neither did I." Xander's smile was gentler. "I do now."
"I'm glad." Scott blinked, realizing how close he was to Xander. He was leaning forward in his chair and so was Xander, facing each other on the same side of the small table. If he just raised his hand, he could touch Xander's face.
Something of what he was thinking must have shown on his face because Xander flushed a little, glancing down and away.
Scott was moving before he realized it, hand coming up to cup Xander's jaw and raise his face back up. He didn't know what to say. Words had gotten him into trouble with this man before. He decided to trust in action instead and leaned forward. He gave Xander time to stop him but the other man just stared at him, eye wide and wondering and then Scott was pressing his lips to Xander's and his own eyes were closed.
He hadn't touched someone like this in so long and it was sweet. Xander tasted of beer and hesitation and Scott wanted more, leaning in closer to him.
So good, but something was missing and with the help of the beer Scott could admit to himself that it was Logan. He wanted Xander, wanted to taste more of him, but he wanted the same thing with Logan, too. But Logan wasn't there and Xander was, with his skin so warm and his hands broad and strong as they stroked over Scott's arms.
"I thought I had…" Logan's voice boomed into the kitchen and then trailed away.
A feeling of rightness flowed through Scott when hearing him but Xander pulled away from him, jerking out of his hands with an apology, leaving Scott bereft.
**