Fic: Go Fly a Kite
Author: Renata
Title: Go Fly a Kite
Recipient: seldear
Disclaimer: Scott Summers and the X-Men are owned by Marvel, not making money, and so forth.
Warnings/Rating: G, basically fluff
Summary: Ah, it's all in the title, really.
Recipient's request: Scott/Jean (friendship or implied romance), flying (telekinetic or machine), Scott taking the lead without coming across as a prick or a bossy boots. (I took "flying" in a bit of a different direction; I hope you still like it!)
This was Scott's first birthday in a long time. Well, technically, he supposed he'd had one every year, but he hadn't really thought about them in the orphanage. This was Scott's fifteenth birthday, a warm fall Saturday, and they were eating yellow cake with buttercream frosting. Someone had remembered that Scott didn't really like chocolate.
Everyone had sung to Scott, Hank, Warren, Professor Xavier, and Professor Lehnsherr. Scott had been embarrassed, but it had also been kind of fun.
"Thanks," Scott said. "This is... this is really nice. You didn't have to go to any trouble..."
"It's your birthday," said Jean, with a toss of her glorious red hair. "Of course we did. Anyway, the cake was no trouble. I made it from a mix."
"You made it? It's great, thanks."
Jean grinned at him, then abruptly turned to Professor Xavier. "Professor? Can Scott open his presents now?"
"You guys didn't have to--"
"I believe Jean just went over this," Professor Xavier said warmly. "We didn't have to, but we wanted to celebrate the day of your birth. And yes, I think now seems like a fine time to open gifts."
"I'll get them!" Jean volunteered, but stayed seated. Her mouth twisted in concentration; a cupboard door swung open and a few brightly-wrapped gifts floated over to the table. One of them bumped Hank's cup of juice, but Hank managed to grab it before it spilled over.
"Nice save," Scott said, and Hank gave a mock-bow.
"This one's from me," Jean said, picking up a flat package with a gigantic bow. "Open it last!"
"Sure," Scott said. He opened a small, heavy package from Professor Lehnsherr. It was a book--a really nice complete works of Shakespeare. "Thanks, Professor," he said. "This looks great!"
Professor Lehnsherr nodded. "I trust you'll find it useful. It's my experience that Shakespeare is good to have around."
Scott opened a new baseball glove from Warren and an album and some baseball cards from Hank. He opened an envelope from Professor Xavier, which contained four train tickets into New York City, four tickets to tomorrow's Yankees-White Sox game, and a rather significant amount of cash. "I thought perhaps you might like a trip into the city without your classmates tomorrow," Professor Xavier explained.
"I... wow," was all Scott could come up with to say. He'd never seen a real baseball game before. "Thank you so much, Professor."
"You're quite welcome, Scott. Happy birthday."
This just left Jean's gift. He looked at the box. "Well," he said, "it's the wrong size to be a bat..."
Jean rolled her eyes. "I figured everyone else would have your baseball needs met."
Scott carefully peeled off the paper and found some brightly colored cloth. It was a kite kit. "Thanks, Jean! And thanks again, everyone, for everything," he said.
"Warren, I believe today is your turn for dishes," Professor Xavier reminded.
Warren nodded and began clearing the table. Hank offered to help, and Professors Xavier and Lehnsherr both excused themselves after wishing Scott well once again. This left Scott and Jean alone, sitting side by side.
"D'you want to go fly this?" he asked, gesturing at the kite.
"I'd love to," she said.
They stepped outside; it was warm and slightly breezy. "I guess we need to put this together first," he said.
"It's a box kite... it should come with instructions."
Scott opened the booklet packaged with the kite and frowned. "Well, it does have instructions, but I think they're in Japanese."
"Japanese?"
"Yeah, or Chinese. Not sure if I know the difference."
"Oh, great."
"Don't worry, I think I can figure it out." He stretched out the colorful fabric and examined the framework pieces. "Ah... I think I see. Can you hold out the cloth for me? Thanks." Scott quickly slid the frame together and soon the kite resembled the packaged booklet.
"How'd you figure that out so fast?"
"I don't know... it's like a puzzle. It just fit this way."
"You're so smart, Scott."
"Nah, it's just a knack." He peered at the kite. "I hope it's windy enough." He held the kite over his head and let out some line. The kite wavered a little, then fell back to the ground.
"Try again," Jean urged, but Scott already was, with a determined look set on his face. Still, no success.
"Here," he said, offering the kite to her. "Will you hold it up over your head? I'll let some line out over here"--he took a few steps downwind--"and when I say 'go,' you let go."
"Neat," Jean enthused.
"Not neat enough," Scott said, watching the kite struggle briefly, then fall back down to Earth.
"Cheer up, Charlie Brown," Jean said. "Let's try one more time."
They repeated the process, an intent expression on Jean's face, and this time the kite soared.
"It looks beautiful," Jean said.
Scott smiled and brought his hands over to Jean's. He offered her the kite string and, after a moment's hesitation, wrapped his own hands around hers. They flew the kite until the sun dipped below the horizon.
---
Scott threw up his hands. "Jean, I can't believe how many clothes you have. How am I going to share a closet with you?"
Jean mock-pouted. "Well, we could just stay in separate rooms, if you want your own closet..."
Scott rolled his eyes. "Can't you get rid of some of these? Like this sweater, when was the last time you wore that?"
"In February, when it was still cold out."
Scott said nothing, but raised an eyebrow at her, above his glasses.
"Fine, it was last February. But I still like it... just... I can only wear it when the right occasion comes along. Anyway, what about you? Do you really need to keep everything you have in here?"
"Absolutely."
With ease, she used her telekinesis to drag a cardboard box out from under the bed. "Let's just see.What about this... kite?" She smiled as she recognized it. "I can't believe you still have this."
"Hey," Scott said. "I need that. For... when the right occasion comes along."
"Yeah? When's that going to be?"
Scott pursed his lips and took Jean by the hands. "How about right now? Wanna go fly a kite?"
Jean laughed. "Scott Summers, I think you're the only man I know who could turn 'Go fly a kite' into a pickup line."
"Good," he said, "I'd hate for anyone else to try it on you."
"I hope it's windy enough," she said.
He shrugged. "Something tells me we don't need to worry about that."
Still holding hands, they walked outside together and flew the kite until the sun dipped below the horizon.
PS Sorry this is almost late, and sorry it's not beta-d... the two are linked. Please let me know if you spot any mistakes, and please accept my apologies for them!
Title: Go Fly a Kite
Recipient: seldear
Disclaimer: Scott Summers and the X-Men are owned by Marvel, not making money, and so forth.
Warnings/Rating: G, basically fluff
Summary: Ah, it's all in the title, really.
Recipient's request: Scott/Jean (friendship or implied romance), flying (telekinetic or machine), Scott taking the lead without coming across as a prick or a bossy boots. (I took "flying" in a bit of a different direction; I hope you still like it!)
This was Scott's first birthday in a long time. Well, technically, he supposed he'd had one every year, but he hadn't really thought about them in the orphanage. This was Scott's fifteenth birthday, a warm fall Saturday, and they were eating yellow cake with buttercream frosting. Someone had remembered that Scott didn't really like chocolate.
Everyone had sung to Scott, Hank, Warren, Professor Xavier, and Professor Lehnsherr. Scott had been embarrassed, but it had also been kind of fun.
"Thanks," Scott said. "This is... this is really nice. You didn't have to go to any trouble..."
"It's your birthday," said Jean, with a toss of her glorious red hair. "Of course we did. Anyway, the cake was no trouble. I made it from a mix."
"You made it? It's great, thanks."
Jean grinned at him, then abruptly turned to Professor Xavier. "Professor? Can Scott open his presents now?"
"You guys didn't have to--"
"I believe Jean just went over this," Professor Xavier said warmly. "We didn't have to, but we wanted to celebrate the day of your birth. And yes, I think now seems like a fine time to open gifts."
"I'll get them!" Jean volunteered, but stayed seated. Her mouth twisted in concentration; a cupboard door swung open and a few brightly-wrapped gifts floated over to the table. One of them bumped Hank's cup of juice, but Hank managed to grab it before it spilled over.
"Nice save," Scott said, and Hank gave a mock-bow.
"This one's from me," Jean said, picking up a flat package with a gigantic bow. "Open it last!"
"Sure," Scott said. He opened a small, heavy package from Professor Lehnsherr. It was a book--a really nice complete works of Shakespeare. "Thanks, Professor," he said. "This looks great!"
Professor Lehnsherr nodded. "I trust you'll find it useful. It's my experience that Shakespeare is good to have around."
Scott opened a new baseball glove from Warren and an album and some baseball cards from Hank. He opened an envelope from Professor Xavier, which contained four train tickets into New York City, four tickets to tomorrow's Yankees-White Sox game, and a rather significant amount of cash. "I thought perhaps you might like a trip into the city without your classmates tomorrow," Professor Xavier explained.
"I... wow," was all Scott could come up with to say. He'd never seen a real baseball game before. "Thank you so much, Professor."
"You're quite welcome, Scott. Happy birthday."
This just left Jean's gift. He looked at the box. "Well," he said, "it's the wrong size to be a bat..."
Jean rolled her eyes. "I figured everyone else would have your baseball needs met."
Scott carefully peeled off the paper and found some brightly colored cloth. It was a kite kit. "Thanks, Jean! And thanks again, everyone, for everything," he said.
"Warren, I believe today is your turn for dishes," Professor Xavier reminded.
Warren nodded and began clearing the table. Hank offered to help, and Professors Xavier and Lehnsherr both excused themselves after wishing Scott well once again. This left Scott and Jean alone, sitting side by side.
"D'you want to go fly this?" he asked, gesturing at the kite.
"I'd love to," she said.
They stepped outside; it was warm and slightly breezy. "I guess we need to put this together first," he said.
"It's a box kite... it should come with instructions."
Scott opened the booklet packaged with the kite and frowned. "Well, it does have instructions, but I think they're in Japanese."
"Japanese?"
"Yeah, or Chinese. Not sure if I know the difference."
"Oh, great."
"Don't worry, I think I can figure it out." He stretched out the colorful fabric and examined the framework pieces. "Ah... I think I see. Can you hold out the cloth for me? Thanks." Scott quickly slid the frame together and soon the kite resembled the packaged booklet.
"How'd you figure that out so fast?"
"I don't know... it's like a puzzle. It just fit this way."
"You're so smart, Scott."
"Nah, it's just a knack." He peered at the kite. "I hope it's windy enough." He held the kite over his head and let out some line. The kite wavered a little, then fell back to the ground.
"Try again," Jean urged, but Scott already was, with a determined look set on his face. Still, no success.
"Here," he said, offering the kite to her. "Will you hold it up over your head? I'll let some line out over here"--he took a few steps downwind--"and when I say 'go,' you let go."
"Neat," Jean enthused.
"Not neat enough," Scott said, watching the kite struggle briefly, then fall back down to Earth.
"Cheer up, Charlie Brown," Jean said. "Let's try one more time."
They repeated the process, an intent expression on Jean's face, and this time the kite soared.
"It looks beautiful," Jean said.
Scott smiled and brought his hands over to Jean's. He offered her the kite string and, after a moment's hesitation, wrapped his own hands around hers. They flew the kite until the sun dipped below the horizon.
---
Scott threw up his hands. "Jean, I can't believe how many clothes you have. How am I going to share a closet with you?"
Jean mock-pouted. "Well, we could just stay in separate rooms, if you want your own closet..."
Scott rolled his eyes. "Can't you get rid of some of these? Like this sweater, when was the last time you wore that?"
"In February, when it was still cold out."
Scott said nothing, but raised an eyebrow at her, above his glasses.
"Fine, it was last February. But I still like it... just... I can only wear it when the right occasion comes along. Anyway, what about you? Do you really need to keep everything you have in here?"
"Absolutely."
With ease, she used her telekinesis to drag a cardboard box out from under the bed. "Let's just see.What about this... kite?" She smiled as she recognized it. "I can't believe you still have this."
"Hey," Scott said. "I need that. For... when the right occasion comes along."
"Yeah? When's that going to be?"
Scott pursed his lips and took Jean by the hands. "How about right now? Wanna go fly a kite?"
Jean laughed. "Scott Summers, I think you're the only man I know who could turn 'Go fly a kite' into a pickup line."
"Good," he said, "I'd hate for anyone else to try it on you."
"I hope it's windy enough," she said.
He shrugged. "Something tells me we don't need to worry about that."
Still holding hands, they walked outside together and flew the kite until the sun dipped below the horizon.
PS Sorry this is almost late, and sorry it's not beta-d... the two are linked. Please let me know if you spot any mistakes, and please accept my apologies for them!