Gravity pt. 12
This being the last chapter, I want to thank you for reading my story to the end. I hope it has been as enjoyable reading material as it has been to write it. I would really appreciate knowing how effective the story was as a whole, so comments would be appreciated.
My next story will feature the same pairing, taking place after Henry McCoy takes his leave of absence from the X-Men and officially joins S.W.O.R.D. I will post the first chapter next Wednesday, so keep your eyes peeled! And once again, thank you for reading.
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Henry woke up first, stretching to life as discreetly as possible so not to disturb Abigail. He felt good, better than he had in a long time. He knew whom to thank, and rolled onto his side to admire her. She lay on her side, looking serious even as she slept. Spotting a blue hair stuck to her collarbone, he reached over to pluck it off. As he bent over her, she suddenly changed position, her foot connecting with his knee in the process. He winced, more out of surprise than pain. If she was a restless sleeper, that would be something he’d have to get used to. She turned over again, and an elbow to the stomach made him reconsider. Maybe it was for the best that they had separate rooms.
Seeing her turn her face into the pillow made him realize what this was. “You’re awake!” he accused. “I saw you smile.” She responded by curling so she took all of the covers. Henry sat up. “I’m giving you fair warning, two can play at this game.” She responded with a theatrical snore. “That’s it.” He threw the covers off her and circled his arm around her waist, picking her up off the bed. “I’m throwing you into the hall.”
That got her attention. She struggled in his grip as he crossed the room, but he held her clear off the floor. “What? No!”
“Maybe it will teach you the lesson that if you try to play games with me, I’ll play them right back,” he said, shaking his head in mock seriousness. He put her in the doorframe, a finger hovering over the button to slide it open.
Abigail stretched out and clung to the sides of the frame like a cat. She was in a state of mild panic. “If you do this, I swear you will spend the rest of your time here scrubbing toilets!”
Henry grinned, though she probably wasn’t kidding. “I don’t believe you. What would be keeping me here? I might as well go back to the X-Men a week early.”
She tried another tactic, eyebrows raising in what nearly was pleading. “Hank, don’t throw me out. Please?”
He released her and she sunk to the floor scowling. “You took all of the fun out of it.” He turned back to the bed, but seeing that she stayed where she was, he sat on the floor with her. He reached out and she crossed her arms, backing away. “Oh, don’t be like that. I didn’t mean it and you know that.”
Abigail turned her nose in the air. “Now you’ve pissed me off.”
He rolled his eyes. “No I haven’t.”
“I’m the commander of this place! Even threatening to kick me out of my own room naked is an act of insubordination.”
“Oh no, what ever shall I do to make it up to you?”
She took a lock of fur in each hand and brought him back to the bed. “I have a few ideas.”
Despite it being a Saturday, Abigail had a couple hours of work to do. Luckily, none of it involved leaving the room, so they delayed getting out of bed for as long as possible. While she leaned on Henry and typed away on one of S.W.O.R.D.’s ubiquitous glowing screens, he pressed in a pair of earbuds and fiddled with his MP3 player. He needed a playlist for the good mood he was in, but none of his carefully selected mixes matched. He chose some instrumentals and closed his eyes, enjoying the presence of another person so close to him. Without looking up from what she was doing, Abigail extended a hand to stroke his hair.
She studied a list of numbers on the glowing screen. “How many people do you want under you?”
“Just you. I’m a serial monogamist.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “Not like that. I mean for research.”
He opened his eyes. “You’re giving me a team? That’s very-“
“Practical,” she interrupted. “You’re a smart guy and just running missions with me would bore you. Don’t want to deprive the world of your latest discoveries.” She typed some numbers onto the screen. “I’ll put you down for six, and we can expand on that later. There’s a whole digital library of alien biochemistry I’ll set you up with. Should be helpful.”
He put an arm around her, looking over the projected budgets she was working out. “Why aren’t you my girlfriend yet?”
“You’re awfully speedy for a guy who wanted to take things slow,” she said, but there was amusement in her voice. “Give it time.”
“May I at least call you Abby?”
She didn’t smile, but the look in her eyes was happy. “You’ve earned that.” They both turned their heads at the insistence of Henry’s phone. “What ringtone is that?”
He got out of bed slowly. “A little number from La Boheme.”
“The opera?”
“Do you know any other?” He looked over his shoulder as he approached the table where his phone lay. “One of these days you will enlighten me on how you can be completely unaware of Beauty and the Beast, yet know Les Miserables and La Boheme.” She shrugged and he checked the caller ID. “It’s Scott. I didn’t know he had this number….”
“Sent it his way when you arrived. Professional courtesy. I thought we turned our phones off last night.”
“We did. I turned mine back on after you fell asleep.”
She put the glowing screen down. “You fell asleep before me! You were snoring.”
“My dear, have you ever known a cat to snore? You were dreaming of me. Which is very flattering, I might add.” He put the phone to his ear. “Hello, Scott. How are you this fine day?” He paused to listen to the reply. “All business today, are we? Fine, spare me the pleasantries and get to the point as you are inevitably about to do.” He was silent for a moment. “What?” Scott repeated himself. “But… I’m here for another week.” His face fell as Scott continued. “No, I understand, it’s a perfectly legitimate reason to ask… but so soon? I hardly… yes, I see your point….” Abigail sent him a questioning look and he shook his head. “Yes, Scott. Goodbye.” He put the phone down.
Abigail’s face was composed, but it didn’t hide her concern. “Don’t tell me. He was asking you to come back.”
Henry sat down heavily on the end of the bed. “Demanding is more like it.”
She slid over the covers next to him. “What did you tell him?”
Henry looked at his hands. “There wasn’t much to tell-he hardly let me get a word in edgewise.” He sighed. “I have to go back tomorrow.”
She stood up. “What?!”
“He said they needed a scientist-“
“One without a spine?” she demanded. “You could have told him no!”
“I didn’t have a chance! And… they need me.”
“Oh, they need you,” she echoed. The anger drained out of her face; she was putting up her walls again. “Then by all means. You got what you came for, now it’s time to go.” Her voice dripped acid.
He stood up too. “I’m not like that!” It was nearly a cry. “You’ve read my file, you’ve gotten to know me more personally than I can say for most people. I would never!” She turned away from him to open the bureau, and he caught her by the shoulders. “Abby….”
She shook him off. “Go back to your X-Men. I’ll find someone else to fill your spot.” She picked out a tank top and shoved it on.
He reached out for her again, but she was too hot to touch. “What can I do to prove you I intend on coming back? Is there something of mine I could leave with you? Some promise I could make?”
She thought about it, then went to her screen, punching up a new document. She pushed it into his hands. “Sign this.”
He examined what it said. “This is an-“
“Enlistment contract. Sign it, and you’re guaranteed to work with S.W.O.R.D. for three months minimum.” She crossed her arms. “If you’re willing.”
“I….” He caught her look. “I was expecting something a little less professional, to be honest.” He scrolled through the articles. “Isn’t this a lot of commitment for someone who doesn’t want to be bound by the titles of girlfriend and boyfriend?”
“I never said never,” she muttered. “Sign it or don’t. Your choice.”
“Obviously not, as it seems to be the only thing that will settle you down. But,” he said, taking her stylus and putting it to the screen, “I would be delighted to pull double-duty with S.W.O.R.D. and with the X-Men, if it means being able to see you more often.” Handing it to her, he spread his arms. “Does this make you feel better?”
Abigail inspected the contract to make sure he didn’t miss anything. “It’s just a precaution.”
Henry couldn’t help but smile. “You were really worried, weren’t you.”
He might have believed her lie if not for the guilt that flashed in her eyes. “No I wasn’t.”
He put his arms around her. “Were you jealous of my friends wanting my attention? How terribly sweet.”
Her posture was rigid against him, refusing to give in. “I was pissed because I have to do extra paperwork. Can’t pay you for two weeks when you’ve only put in one.”
He put his nose on her neck. “You’re lovely when you lie.”
“Yeah?” She smirked, relaxing against him. “Then I don’t like you at all. I don’t think you’re the smartest guy I’ve ever met, and I definitely don’t think you’re sexy.”
“And I don’t find myself liking you more and more with each passing day.” He squeezed her and she put her head against his collarbone. “Is like enough for now?”
“It’s all I ask for,” she said, closing her eyes.
Henry made a conscious effort to stop his fingers probing under the edges of her shirt. He wasn’t used to her enough to want to stop admiring her, but he had other plans. “I find myself in need of some air. Would you like to take a walk with me?”
She lifted her head. “Where to? You don’t know the layout of the station.”
“I don’t know,” he said, releasing her so he could find a shirt of his own. “Show me something I’ve never seen before.”
“Like I haven’t already?” She saw him make a face and made one in return. “That wasn’t innuendo.”
“Come on, Abby, this place is the size of a small city. Surely there must be wonders enough for one little walk.” He dipped a hand into the bureau and threw some underwear at her head.
“Fine, fine.”
When they were both dressed she put her hand on the doorframe, motioning for him to follow her into the hallway. He met her at the door, crowding her. “I know the rules for when we’re on the clock or in public around strangers, but am I allowed to be affectionate towards you in the station, on a day off, around people you know?” Going into the hall, he continued to test how far her personal space extended as they walked by edging closer and closer until she moved away. “I’m not asking because it’s going to affect my actions, mind you. I just want to know how annoyed I can expect you to get before you inevitably give into my charms.” She made a rude gesture at him and he laughed. “Just hold my hand.” He held it out to her. “I don’t bite! Unless requested.”
She groaned as she led them through some of the larger command centers. “Are you always this annoying, or am I special?”
“Oh, you’re very special.” A couple people stopped working to stare at them. Abigail glared but Henry flashed them a smile. “You’d all agree that the Commander is a special woman, wouldn’t you?” he asked loudly, taking delight in how mortified her expression was.
“Don’t answer that! Get back to work!” She got behind Henry, both hands on his back as she shoved him out of the room. “You are going to embarrass me to death.”
“You knew what you were getting into and now you have to deal with the consequences. Should I call you pet names instead? I can be quite creative when thinking up terms of endearment.”
“Spare me,” she groaned. “Take these stairs.”
Henry meant to say more, but the view at the top of the staircase took his breath away. The curve of the earth glowed in the gigantic, starry windows, marbled with swirling clouds. It wasn’t until Abigail sat down behind a sleek desk that he noticed there was anything else in the room. “Is this… is this your office?”
She leaned back in her chair. “Great view, huh? Some days I come in here when everyone’s giving me a hard time, or tired from my latest run-in with this galaxy’s scumbags, and I’ll sit down… and just look.” She spun the chair around so she was facing the window, which Henry estimated was easily fifty feet tall. “If this was the only good thing about being Commander, it’d still be worth it.”
He crossed the translucent floors to lean against her desk. “I didn’t expect your office to be so grand.”
The earth and stars reflected in her eyes in perfect miniature, and Henry realized she was the happiest he had ever seen her. Casting her thoughts back to her surroundings instead of the view, her sublime expression faded. “Not my decision. This has been the Commander’s office for as long as the Peak has existed. S.W.O.R.D. used to be more of a boy’s club-I’m the first female head. But not the first who wasn’t entirely human.” She opened her arms to the rest of the room. “The previous Commanders liked the grandeur. I’d be fine with a cubicle. But the view….” Her look of happiness returned. “I worked my ass off to get where I am, and I love that view like a mother.”
He put a hand on her shoulder and she didn’t move away. “That’s a beautiful sentiment, darling.”
At his last word she snapped out of it, brushing his hand off. “Call me something cute again and I won’t give you a ride home. I’ll just cram you in a missile and aim for your school.”
“Petty threats,” he scoffed. “Any other special features I should know about in this magnificent office of yours?”
“The desk displays up to fifty interactive holographic projections at once.” She punched up a series of three-dimensional diagrams of alien anatomy. “That’s cool, right?”
Henry walked around the desk to stand beside her, transfixed on the projections. “Move over.”
She furrowed her brow. “What? Why?”
He levered himself closer with an elbow. “That chair looks big enough to seat two and I want to get a closer look at this.”
“No way! This is the Commander’s chair.”
He tried to push her to one side of the chair, but she held fast. “And I’m the… actually, what am I?”
Abigail shrugged. “Didn’t give you a title. Wanna be my secretary?” She put her feet on the desk. “You could take notes and sit on my lap when I’ve had a long day.”
“Now who’s harassing whom? I should be your science advisor.”
“Already got one of those.” She changed the displays to monitors of what was going on elsewhere in the Peak.
“A lesser man might feel a touch of jealousy!” He leaned over where she sat, grinning at her with all of his teeth. “I could be your first science advisor, and you could bump your other one down to number two. I am, after all, one of the smartest human beings on or off the planet.”
She was unimpressed. “You’re trying to get me to play favorites.”
“You’re damn right I am! If you’re running off to this other science advisor all the time, then how can I possibly spend quality time fighting galactic threats with you?”
She rolled her eyes. “Bag a guy once, and he wants to spend the rest of his life with you.”
He waved a finger at her. “You were the one who wanted the contract. You’re crazy about me.”
“You wanna fix me! That means you like me more.”
“You haven’t been able to keep your heart rate under control around me since the day we met!”
She leaned back in the chair. “We’re doomed to be hopelessly in like.”
“It would be useless to fight it.”
They shared a tiny, knowing smile. He reached to touch her shoulder but stopped, hesitant of how far she would let him go. She scanned the room, then raised her hand to brush his. Henry took a step closer. “Would you object if I kissed you right now?”
Abigail weighed the possibilities. “We’re in my office. But not on the clock. People could see it. But half the station thought we were together from day one.” Her forehead wrinkled as she considered. “Okay. Just this once.” She raised her face up at him and closed her eyes. “Be quick about it.”
He sat on the desk and leaned over her. “Henry ‘Beast’ McCoy takes his time where such important matters are concerned.”
She wrinkled her nose, lowering her voice as he came closer. “You never listen.”
“Only when you’re paying me,” he murmured, holding position with his face an inch from hers. “Otherwise, you can expect to get your way about fifty percent of the time.” He brushed her cheek with his mouth. “That’s considering a margin of statistical error at about ten percent.” He brushed her other cheek. “Which means you might get your way anywhere between forty and sixty-“
Just as he leaned to kiss her, she stood up and stepped to the side, causing him to stumble. “Sydren!”
“Er… Commander.” Sydren and Abigail stared at each other in mild horror. “I was jussst retrieving a-“
She ushered him around to the desk drawers and unlocked them. “Take what you need.” She fixed him with a dangerous look. “You were never here, got it?”
“I sssaw nothing,” he agreed, rifling through a stack of files.
She stood over him for an awkward minute as he sorted out what he wanted from the rest of the files. “That everything?” she asked.
“Not quite,” he replied, eyes still on the drawer. “I will let you know when I am finished. There isss no need to look over my ssshoulder.”
“Right.” She took a step back, still focused on what Sydren was doing. “How’s the injury?”
He tensed. “Jussst becaussse you essscaped unharmed doesssn’t mean we didn’t do the job to the bessst of our-“ After a pause, he swiveled his head around to look at her in disbelief. “Were you actually asssking after me becaussse you wanted to know?”
She gave a confused shrug. “I guess?”
Sydren turned to Henry, eyes full of suspicion. “What did you do to her? Ssshe’s never cared before.”
Henry glanced in Abigail‘s direction. She refused to look at either of them, a touch of pink coloring each cheek. “I’ve been working to set a good example.” To her he said, “That was very sweet. See how people appreciate it when you’re nice to them?”
“Whatever,” she grunted, crossing her arms. “Just wanted to know when he’s coming back to work.”
Sydren neatened the stack of folders he set on the desk, then put them under his arm and stood. “Whichever methodsss of therapy you are inflicting on her, they ssseem to be working.” He turned to Abigail. “I wholeheartedly approve.” She scowled at him. “Have a nicssse weekend, McCoy. Commander.”
She held her breath until he walked down the stairs and out of her office, then let it out in a tortured sigh. “What are you turning me into! I’m never gonna live that down.”
He patted her head. “You did very well. Who knows, you might actually make a friend.” She slapped his hand away. “Let’s go back to my room.”
Her mood changed in an instant. “You Beast! You’re insatiable.”
“That’s not what I meant,” he chuckled, ushering her away from the desk. “This is the last full day we have together for a little while, and we should spend it as best we can.” She still wore a devilish expression, so he continued. “What I meant to say is that we’re going to unearth that keyboard and have a piano lesson.” Seeing her eyebrows raise, he smiled. “Trust me, you’ll enjoy it.”
Watching the Earth expand below their little ship twenty-four hours later had Henry and Abigail at a loss for words. There was so much to talk about and learn from each other, but the solemnity of his leaving S.W.O.R.D. for the X-Men made it difficult to start the conversation.
Abigail guided them down while Henry checked their bearings. Seeing an anomaly, he broke the silence. “The X-Mansion is north of where we’re headed,” he observed. “Are we going somewhere you didn’t tell me about?”
“Lunch.” She flicked a series of switches and checked out the window to gauge the speed of their deceleration. “My treat.”
Looking out the window with her, he recognized the surroundings. “This is the same place you met me, to pick me up.”
She nodded, not looking away from what she was doing. “I gotta get back to the Peak when lunch is done. Work to do. I arranged for a car to pick you up after and take you the rest of the way.”
His face fell. “I won’t get to take you back to the mansion?”
The craft floated to a rest in its designated space. “Yes, that is what I said.” She opened the cockpit and got out.
“I wanted you to meet my friends,” he said, following her to the door of the bar.
“We’ve met. They hate me, remember? You used to, too.” She scanned the room for a table.
He caught her arm before she could go any farther. “That business was between the X-Men and Agent Brand. I want you to meet them as Abigail, the woman I am interested in. I think you’ll find the change in attitude quite dramatic.” He rubbed her shoulder with his thumb. “Now cheer up. We still have a whole lunch to spend together, and it just wouldn’t be complete without your smile.” He touched her cheek and she pushed his hand away. “Please?”
“Nothing to smile about.” She located a table and took a seat. “With you gone, the number of people who like me decreases by a hundred percent. You’ll be running around with the X-Men and I’ll go back to being the butt of the jokes my crew thinks I don’t know.”
Henry reached across the table to take her hand, which lay limp and unresponsive in his. “You have plenty of reasons to be happy! You’re a beautiful, smart, and accomplished woman.”
She turned up her nose. “None of that ever made me feel good.”
He brought her hand to his mouth. “You have the man you want following you around like an overexcited puppy.”
“That’s okay….”
He smiled in her stead. “Liar. You love it. What about punching out your ex? Surely that is cause for celebration.”
She twisted her mouth around, trying to hide the satisfaction in her eyes. “It was pretty cool,” she agreed. Their waitress approached, then stopped in horror. They recognized each other. “Barmaid-“
Henry took the waitress’s hand. “What a nice coincidence, to be served by you again. You did an excellent job last time.”
The waitress’s eyes slid from side to side as she planned an escape. “Uh… yeah….”
“I promise we won’t cause any disturbances this time.” He held up three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”
Abigail cocked her head. “Were you a Boy Scout?”
“I was! I can still tie all the knots, which comes in handy more often than one might expect.” To the waitress, who halfheartedly offered them menus, he said, “The tilapia platter, if you please. Abby?”
“Wings. Hot as they come. And….” She gave Henry a suspicious look. “You gonna stop me if I order beer this time?”
“No. I’ll have what she’s having.”
“Good.” She brandished her menu at the waitress. “A pitcher and two mugs. Local. Got it?” The waitress nodded and skittered off, leaving them alone together. Abigail leaned back in her chair and met his eyes, waiting for him to restart the conversation.
“I’m not choosing them over you, you know.”
She shrugged, her expression stoic. “It’d make sense if you did. You’ve known them longer.”
He squeezed her hand. “Yes, but none of them are willing to sleep with me. I think it’s fair to say you get high priority for that alone.”
She made an effort towards not showing pleasure at the remark. “It just goes to show you’re making a poor judgment. Not thinking with the head on your shoulders.”
“Are you trying to talk me out of seeing you again? Because it’s not going to work.”
“Just playing devil’s advocate. You should be able to analyze the situation from all sides before you make a decision.”
He laughed. “You’re fishing for compliments! I thought you didn’t like it when I did that.” The waitress placed the pitcher on the table and poured them each a mug. “If you must know, I find your leadership less disagreeable than Scott’s, your figure more attractive than Emma’s, and your odor far more pleasing than Logan’s. Does that make you feel better?”
She avoided answering by taking a swig of beer, and he matched her. Putting their mugs back on the table, he saw her facade crack with a tiny smile. “You have a thing.” She pointed to her mouth. “Right here.”
“Right where?” He put a finger to his cheek. “Here?” She moved her finger so he moved his, never exactly to where she pointed. “Maybe you should get it.”
She leaned across the table and wiped the foam off his lip with two fingers, then licked them. “Much better.” She paused before she sat back down, surprising him with a swift kiss.
“Our waitress must think we’re crazy,” he said, watching her settle back into her seat.
“We are. But how would she know that?”
“You must not remember how we acted here just a week ago,” he replied. “We had a terse discussion, then I yelled at you.” He grinned at her. “Now we’re holding hands and kissing.”
Abigail put her palm to her chin, hiding a smile behind her fingers. “Who cares what a barmaid thinks? We have other people to worry about impressing.”
“Like my friends. When can you come to the mansion?”
She shook her head. “That’s a lost cause.”
“Abby, please. I know they’ll be more receptive, if only you let them.”
She pursed her mouth. “I’ll come, but only because I wanna see your room. And you have to play drums for me.”
“I’ll write you a song.”
“What would you call it?”
“’Abigail, My Spacefaring Princess.’”
She snorted. “That’s the worst name I ever heard.”
“I know! I wonder what it will sound like.”
“Guess we’ll have to find out.” Her hand tightened around his. “Next weekend?”
They beamed at each other. “I can’t wait.”
They left the bar holding hands. Only standing out on the street did they remember to take their eyes off each other. Henry’s ride idled on the street. Their hands parted and they stood by the car, neither knowing what to say or do. Henry broke the silence. “Abigail-“
She shook her hands at him. “Don’t. Nothing melodramatic.”
He took a step towards her. “Then should we…?”
She eyed the driver. “I don’t know.” Her forehead wrinkled. “We ought to do something. I just don’t know what.” Thinking about it some more, she gestured for him to get closer. “C’mere.”
They wrapped their arms around one another, holding each other long enough that the driver looked out the window and tapped his watch. Henry kissed a spot above her eyebrow before releasing her. “I’ll think of you.”
The corners of her mouth twitched. “So will I.”
“But our days will be full to bursting to keep us occupied.”
“We won’t miss each other.”
“Much,” he corrected.
She couldn’t help returning his smile. “That’s what I meant.”
“So….”
“Goodbye,” she interjected. “For now.”
“For now,” he agreed, getting into the car. As the car revved to life, she stood on the curb watching, thumbs in her pockets. The expression on her face made him wish he spent a little more time reassuring her that nothing would change in the week between when they saw each other next. Once the car pulled out of its parking space, she turned and walked away to her ship. He was glad she didn’t watch him until he was gone, if only so she didn’t know that was exactly what he was doing.
When she was out of sight, he turned around in his seat to face the front and sighed, thinking of stars. He would much rather be returning to the Peak than to the mansion. The exhilaration of budding romance aside, Scott’s decision making lately tended to raise moral qualms in Henry. At least Abigail was trying to be less ruthless, even if she did need reminding, but the X-Men under Scott’s leadership headed in the opposite direction. Death-defying missions in space took his mind off it, but now he had plenty of time to dread the arguments to come. He shifted positions in the backseat. Something in his pocket made it tight against his hip. Extracting the offending object, he discovered his S.W.O.R.D.-issue mobile phone-the same one he was sure he left on Abigail’s side table after he finished packing. When did she plant it on him? His mind went back to all the opportunities she had to touch him and he decided it was probably just outside the car. He smiled, delighted that she could still surprise him even when she wasn’t there. He stared at the phone, wondering if it was too soon to call her. She was probably embroiled in some sort of dogfight as soon as she left the atmosphere, which seemed to be how S.W.O.R.D. diplomacy worked. His smile faded-a call from him right now would either look clingy, or distract her from something important. He should wait.
The phone vibrated in his hand, and he put it to his ear immediately. “Abigail?”
“I had an idea. I didn’t want to wait to share it with you.”
“Go on…?”
“I want to put my mirrors back up. Get some art to hang on the walls. Maybe even paint my room. Or…” she took a deep breath, “our room. If you want.”
A thrill ran through him. She was thinking of him, too. “I would be honored. Why don’t we visit a gallery this weekend, we can get some prints we both like.”
“Yeah! And bring books. I’m gonna build a bookcase.”
“I’ll find a frame for that photo of you and your mother.”
“We need pictures of us, too!”
“And one to keep in my wallet.” He hoped she could hear his grin on her end. “That one should be you, with a lot less clothes on than the other pictures.”
“What!”
“It would make an excellent reminder of what I have to look forward to on my days away from the X-Men. Have no fear, Abby, I have no intentions of showing it to anyone. Well, maybe Bobby.”
He laughed at her inarticulate rage, teasing her until she laughed too. The scenery flew by outside his car and her spaceship, but neither Henry nor Abigail bothered to take notice, entrenched in their plans for next time. Every minute apart was a minute closer to when they would see each other next, and the more they missed each other, the happier their reunion would be. Being apart didn’t seem so bad as long as they could still talk to each other, lost in the glow of happiness.
My next story will feature the same pairing, taking place after Henry McCoy takes his leave of absence from the X-Men and officially joins S.W.O.R.D. I will post the first chapter next Wednesday, so keep your eyes peeled! And once again, thank you for reading.
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Henry woke up first, stretching to life as discreetly as possible so not to disturb Abigail. He felt good, better than he had in a long time. He knew whom to thank, and rolled onto his side to admire her. She lay on her side, looking serious even as she slept. Spotting a blue hair stuck to her collarbone, he reached over to pluck it off. As he bent over her, she suddenly changed position, her foot connecting with his knee in the process. He winced, more out of surprise than pain. If she was a restless sleeper, that would be something he’d have to get used to. She turned over again, and an elbow to the stomach made him reconsider. Maybe it was for the best that they had separate rooms.
Seeing her turn her face into the pillow made him realize what this was. “You’re awake!” he accused. “I saw you smile.” She responded by curling so she took all of the covers. Henry sat up. “I’m giving you fair warning, two can play at this game.” She responded with a theatrical snore. “That’s it.” He threw the covers off her and circled his arm around her waist, picking her up off the bed. “I’m throwing you into the hall.”
That got her attention. She struggled in his grip as he crossed the room, but he held her clear off the floor. “What? No!”
“Maybe it will teach you the lesson that if you try to play games with me, I’ll play them right back,” he said, shaking his head in mock seriousness. He put her in the doorframe, a finger hovering over the button to slide it open.
Abigail stretched out and clung to the sides of the frame like a cat. She was in a state of mild panic. “If you do this, I swear you will spend the rest of your time here scrubbing toilets!”
Henry grinned, though she probably wasn’t kidding. “I don’t believe you. What would be keeping me here? I might as well go back to the X-Men a week early.”
She tried another tactic, eyebrows raising in what nearly was pleading. “Hank, don’t throw me out. Please?”
He released her and she sunk to the floor scowling. “You took all of the fun out of it.” He turned back to the bed, but seeing that she stayed where she was, he sat on the floor with her. He reached out and she crossed her arms, backing away. “Oh, don’t be like that. I didn’t mean it and you know that.”
Abigail turned her nose in the air. “Now you’ve pissed me off.”
He rolled his eyes. “No I haven’t.”
“I’m the commander of this place! Even threatening to kick me out of my own room naked is an act of insubordination.”
“Oh no, what ever shall I do to make it up to you?”
She took a lock of fur in each hand and brought him back to the bed. “I have a few ideas.”
Despite it being a Saturday, Abigail had a couple hours of work to do. Luckily, none of it involved leaving the room, so they delayed getting out of bed for as long as possible. While she leaned on Henry and typed away on one of S.W.O.R.D.’s ubiquitous glowing screens, he pressed in a pair of earbuds and fiddled with his MP3 player. He needed a playlist for the good mood he was in, but none of his carefully selected mixes matched. He chose some instrumentals and closed his eyes, enjoying the presence of another person so close to him. Without looking up from what she was doing, Abigail extended a hand to stroke his hair.
She studied a list of numbers on the glowing screen. “How many people do you want under you?”
“Just you. I’m a serial monogamist.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “Not like that. I mean for research.”
He opened his eyes. “You’re giving me a team? That’s very-“
“Practical,” she interrupted. “You’re a smart guy and just running missions with me would bore you. Don’t want to deprive the world of your latest discoveries.” She typed some numbers onto the screen. “I’ll put you down for six, and we can expand on that later. There’s a whole digital library of alien biochemistry I’ll set you up with. Should be helpful.”
He put an arm around her, looking over the projected budgets she was working out. “Why aren’t you my girlfriend yet?”
“You’re awfully speedy for a guy who wanted to take things slow,” she said, but there was amusement in her voice. “Give it time.”
“May I at least call you Abby?”
She didn’t smile, but the look in her eyes was happy. “You’ve earned that.” They both turned their heads at the insistence of Henry’s phone. “What ringtone is that?”
He got out of bed slowly. “A little number from La Boheme.”
“The opera?”
“Do you know any other?” He looked over his shoulder as he approached the table where his phone lay. “One of these days you will enlighten me on how you can be completely unaware of Beauty and the Beast, yet know Les Miserables and La Boheme.” She shrugged and he checked the caller ID. “It’s Scott. I didn’t know he had this number….”
“Sent it his way when you arrived. Professional courtesy. I thought we turned our phones off last night.”
“We did. I turned mine back on after you fell asleep.”
She put the glowing screen down. “You fell asleep before me! You were snoring.”
“My dear, have you ever known a cat to snore? You were dreaming of me. Which is very flattering, I might add.” He put the phone to his ear. “Hello, Scott. How are you this fine day?” He paused to listen to the reply. “All business today, are we? Fine, spare me the pleasantries and get to the point as you are inevitably about to do.” He was silent for a moment. “What?” Scott repeated himself. “But… I’m here for another week.” His face fell as Scott continued. “No, I understand, it’s a perfectly legitimate reason to ask… but so soon? I hardly… yes, I see your point….” Abigail sent him a questioning look and he shook his head. “Yes, Scott. Goodbye.” He put the phone down.
Abigail’s face was composed, but it didn’t hide her concern. “Don’t tell me. He was asking you to come back.”
Henry sat down heavily on the end of the bed. “Demanding is more like it.”
She slid over the covers next to him. “What did you tell him?”
Henry looked at his hands. “There wasn’t much to tell-he hardly let me get a word in edgewise.” He sighed. “I have to go back tomorrow.”
She stood up. “What?!”
“He said they needed a scientist-“
“One without a spine?” she demanded. “You could have told him no!”
“I didn’t have a chance! And… they need me.”
“Oh, they need you,” she echoed. The anger drained out of her face; she was putting up her walls again. “Then by all means. You got what you came for, now it’s time to go.” Her voice dripped acid.
He stood up too. “I’m not like that!” It was nearly a cry. “You’ve read my file, you’ve gotten to know me more personally than I can say for most people. I would never!” She turned away from him to open the bureau, and he caught her by the shoulders. “Abby….”
She shook him off. “Go back to your X-Men. I’ll find someone else to fill your spot.” She picked out a tank top and shoved it on.
He reached out for her again, but she was too hot to touch. “What can I do to prove you I intend on coming back? Is there something of mine I could leave with you? Some promise I could make?”
She thought about it, then went to her screen, punching up a new document. She pushed it into his hands. “Sign this.”
He examined what it said. “This is an-“
“Enlistment contract. Sign it, and you’re guaranteed to work with S.W.O.R.D. for three months minimum.” She crossed her arms. “If you’re willing.”
“I….” He caught her look. “I was expecting something a little less professional, to be honest.” He scrolled through the articles. “Isn’t this a lot of commitment for someone who doesn’t want to be bound by the titles of girlfriend and boyfriend?”
“I never said never,” she muttered. “Sign it or don’t. Your choice.”
“Obviously not, as it seems to be the only thing that will settle you down. But,” he said, taking her stylus and putting it to the screen, “I would be delighted to pull double-duty with S.W.O.R.D. and with the X-Men, if it means being able to see you more often.” Handing it to her, he spread his arms. “Does this make you feel better?”
Abigail inspected the contract to make sure he didn’t miss anything. “It’s just a precaution.”
Henry couldn’t help but smile. “You were really worried, weren’t you.”
He might have believed her lie if not for the guilt that flashed in her eyes. “No I wasn’t.”
He put his arms around her. “Were you jealous of my friends wanting my attention? How terribly sweet.”
Her posture was rigid against him, refusing to give in. “I was pissed because I have to do extra paperwork. Can’t pay you for two weeks when you’ve only put in one.”
He put his nose on her neck. “You’re lovely when you lie.”
“Yeah?” She smirked, relaxing against him. “Then I don’t like you at all. I don’t think you’re the smartest guy I’ve ever met, and I definitely don’t think you’re sexy.”
“And I don’t find myself liking you more and more with each passing day.” He squeezed her and she put her head against his collarbone. “Is like enough for now?”
“It’s all I ask for,” she said, closing her eyes.
Henry made a conscious effort to stop his fingers probing under the edges of her shirt. He wasn’t used to her enough to want to stop admiring her, but he had other plans. “I find myself in need of some air. Would you like to take a walk with me?”
She lifted her head. “Where to? You don’t know the layout of the station.”
“I don’t know,” he said, releasing her so he could find a shirt of his own. “Show me something I’ve never seen before.”
“Like I haven’t already?” She saw him make a face and made one in return. “That wasn’t innuendo.”
“Come on, Abby, this place is the size of a small city. Surely there must be wonders enough for one little walk.” He dipped a hand into the bureau and threw some underwear at her head.
“Fine, fine.”
When they were both dressed she put her hand on the doorframe, motioning for him to follow her into the hallway. He met her at the door, crowding her. “I know the rules for when we’re on the clock or in public around strangers, but am I allowed to be affectionate towards you in the station, on a day off, around people you know?” Going into the hall, he continued to test how far her personal space extended as they walked by edging closer and closer until she moved away. “I’m not asking because it’s going to affect my actions, mind you. I just want to know how annoyed I can expect you to get before you inevitably give into my charms.” She made a rude gesture at him and he laughed. “Just hold my hand.” He held it out to her. “I don’t bite! Unless requested.”
She groaned as she led them through some of the larger command centers. “Are you always this annoying, or am I special?”
“Oh, you’re very special.” A couple people stopped working to stare at them. Abigail glared but Henry flashed them a smile. “You’d all agree that the Commander is a special woman, wouldn’t you?” he asked loudly, taking delight in how mortified her expression was.
“Don’t answer that! Get back to work!” She got behind Henry, both hands on his back as she shoved him out of the room. “You are going to embarrass me to death.”
“You knew what you were getting into and now you have to deal with the consequences. Should I call you pet names instead? I can be quite creative when thinking up terms of endearment.”
“Spare me,” she groaned. “Take these stairs.”
Henry meant to say more, but the view at the top of the staircase took his breath away. The curve of the earth glowed in the gigantic, starry windows, marbled with swirling clouds. It wasn’t until Abigail sat down behind a sleek desk that he noticed there was anything else in the room. “Is this… is this your office?”
She leaned back in her chair. “Great view, huh? Some days I come in here when everyone’s giving me a hard time, or tired from my latest run-in with this galaxy’s scumbags, and I’ll sit down… and just look.” She spun the chair around so she was facing the window, which Henry estimated was easily fifty feet tall. “If this was the only good thing about being Commander, it’d still be worth it.”
He crossed the translucent floors to lean against her desk. “I didn’t expect your office to be so grand.”
The earth and stars reflected in her eyes in perfect miniature, and Henry realized she was the happiest he had ever seen her. Casting her thoughts back to her surroundings instead of the view, her sublime expression faded. “Not my decision. This has been the Commander’s office for as long as the Peak has existed. S.W.O.R.D. used to be more of a boy’s club-I’m the first female head. But not the first who wasn’t entirely human.” She opened her arms to the rest of the room. “The previous Commanders liked the grandeur. I’d be fine with a cubicle. But the view….” Her look of happiness returned. “I worked my ass off to get where I am, and I love that view like a mother.”
He put a hand on her shoulder and she didn’t move away. “That’s a beautiful sentiment, darling.”
At his last word she snapped out of it, brushing his hand off. “Call me something cute again and I won’t give you a ride home. I’ll just cram you in a missile and aim for your school.”
“Petty threats,” he scoffed. “Any other special features I should know about in this magnificent office of yours?”
“The desk displays up to fifty interactive holographic projections at once.” She punched up a series of three-dimensional diagrams of alien anatomy. “That’s cool, right?”
Henry walked around the desk to stand beside her, transfixed on the projections. “Move over.”
She furrowed her brow. “What? Why?”
He levered himself closer with an elbow. “That chair looks big enough to seat two and I want to get a closer look at this.”
“No way! This is the Commander’s chair.”
He tried to push her to one side of the chair, but she held fast. “And I’m the… actually, what am I?”
Abigail shrugged. “Didn’t give you a title. Wanna be my secretary?” She put her feet on the desk. “You could take notes and sit on my lap when I’ve had a long day.”
“Now who’s harassing whom? I should be your science advisor.”
“Already got one of those.” She changed the displays to monitors of what was going on elsewhere in the Peak.
“A lesser man might feel a touch of jealousy!” He leaned over where she sat, grinning at her with all of his teeth. “I could be your first science advisor, and you could bump your other one down to number two. I am, after all, one of the smartest human beings on or off the planet.”
She was unimpressed. “You’re trying to get me to play favorites.”
“You’re damn right I am! If you’re running off to this other science advisor all the time, then how can I possibly spend quality time fighting galactic threats with you?”
She rolled her eyes. “Bag a guy once, and he wants to spend the rest of his life with you.”
He waved a finger at her. “You were the one who wanted the contract. You’re crazy about me.”
“You wanna fix me! That means you like me more.”
“You haven’t been able to keep your heart rate under control around me since the day we met!”
She leaned back in the chair. “We’re doomed to be hopelessly in like.”
“It would be useless to fight it.”
They shared a tiny, knowing smile. He reached to touch her shoulder but stopped, hesitant of how far she would let him go. She scanned the room, then raised her hand to brush his. Henry took a step closer. “Would you object if I kissed you right now?”
Abigail weighed the possibilities. “We’re in my office. But not on the clock. People could see it. But half the station thought we were together from day one.” Her forehead wrinkled as she considered. “Okay. Just this once.” She raised her face up at him and closed her eyes. “Be quick about it.”
He sat on the desk and leaned over her. “Henry ‘Beast’ McCoy takes his time where such important matters are concerned.”
She wrinkled her nose, lowering her voice as he came closer. “You never listen.”
“Only when you’re paying me,” he murmured, holding position with his face an inch from hers. “Otherwise, you can expect to get your way about fifty percent of the time.” He brushed her cheek with his mouth. “That’s considering a margin of statistical error at about ten percent.” He brushed her other cheek. “Which means you might get your way anywhere between forty and sixty-“
Just as he leaned to kiss her, she stood up and stepped to the side, causing him to stumble. “Sydren!”
“Er… Commander.” Sydren and Abigail stared at each other in mild horror. “I was jussst retrieving a-“
She ushered him around to the desk drawers and unlocked them. “Take what you need.” She fixed him with a dangerous look. “You were never here, got it?”
“I sssaw nothing,” he agreed, rifling through a stack of files.
She stood over him for an awkward minute as he sorted out what he wanted from the rest of the files. “That everything?” she asked.
“Not quite,” he replied, eyes still on the drawer. “I will let you know when I am finished. There isss no need to look over my ssshoulder.”
“Right.” She took a step back, still focused on what Sydren was doing. “How’s the injury?”
He tensed. “Jussst becaussse you essscaped unharmed doesssn’t mean we didn’t do the job to the bessst of our-“ After a pause, he swiveled his head around to look at her in disbelief. “Were you actually asssking after me becaussse you wanted to know?”
She gave a confused shrug. “I guess?”
Sydren turned to Henry, eyes full of suspicion. “What did you do to her? Ssshe’s never cared before.”
Henry glanced in Abigail‘s direction. She refused to look at either of them, a touch of pink coloring each cheek. “I’ve been working to set a good example.” To her he said, “That was very sweet. See how people appreciate it when you’re nice to them?”
“Whatever,” she grunted, crossing her arms. “Just wanted to know when he’s coming back to work.”
Sydren neatened the stack of folders he set on the desk, then put them under his arm and stood. “Whichever methodsss of therapy you are inflicting on her, they ssseem to be working.” He turned to Abigail. “I wholeheartedly approve.” She scowled at him. “Have a nicssse weekend, McCoy. Commander.”
She held her breath until he walked down the stairs and out of her office, then let it out in a tortured sigh. “What are you turning me into! I’m never gonna live that down.”
He patted her head. “You did very well. Who knows, you might actually make a friend.” She slapped his hand away. “Let’s go back to my room.”
Her mood changed in an instant. “You Beast! You’re insatiable.”
“That’s not what I meant,” he chuckled, ushering her away from the desk. “This is the last full day we have together for a little while, and we should spend it as best we can.” She still wore a devilish expression, so he continued. “What I meant to say is that we’re going to unearth that keyboard and have a piano lesson.” Seeing her eyebrows raise, he smiled. “Trust me, you’ll enjoy it.”
Watching the Earth expand below their little ship twenty-four hours later had Henry and Abigail at a loss for words. There was so much to talk about and learn from each other, but the solemnity of his leaving S.W.O.R.D. for the X-Men made it difficult to start the conversation.
Abigail guided them down while Henry checked their bearings. Seeing an anomaly, he broke the silence. “The X-Mansion is north of where we’re headed,” he observed. “Are we going somewhere you didn’t tell me about?”
“Lunch.” She flicked a series of switches and checked out the window to gauge the speed of their deceleration. “My treat.”
Looking out the window with her, he recognized the surroundings. “This is the same place you met me, to pick me up.”
She nodded, not looking away from what she was doing. “I gotta get back to the Peak when lunch is done. Work to do. I arranged for a car to pick you up after and take you the rest of the way.”
His face fell. “I won’t get to take you back to the mansion?”
The craft floated to a rest in its designated space. “Yes, that is what I said.” She opened the cockpit and got out.
“I wanted you to meet my friends,” he said, following her to the door of the bar.
“We’ve met. They hate me, remember? You used to, too.” She scanned the room for a table.
He caught her arm before she could go any farther. “That business was between the X-Men and Agent Brand. I want you to meet them as Abigail, the woman I am interested in. I think you’ll find the change in attitude quite dramatic.” He rubbed her shoulder with his thumb. “Now cheer up. We still have a whole lunch to spend together, and it just wouldn’t be complete without your smile.” He touched her cheek and she pushed his hand away. “Please?”
“Nothing to smile about.” She located a table and took a seat. “With you gone, the number of people who like me decreases by a hundred percent. You’ll be running around with the X-Men and I’ll go back to being the butt of the jokes my crew thinks I don’t know.”
Henry reached across the table to take her hand, which lay limp and unresponsive in his. “You have plenty of reasons to be happy! You’re a beautiful, smart, and accomplished woman.”
She turned up her nose. “None of that ever made me feel good.”
He brought her hand to his mouth. “You have the man you want following you around like an overexcited puppy.”
“That’s okay….”
He smiled in her stead. “Liar. You love it. What about punching out your ex? Surely that is cause for celebration.”
She twisted her mouth around, trying to hide the satisfaction in her eyes. “It was pretty cool,” she agreed. Their waitress approached, then stopped in horror. They recognized each other. “Barmaid-“
Henry took the waitress’s hand. “What a nice coincidence, to be served by you again. You did an excellent job last time.”
The waitress’s eyes slid from side to side as she planned an escape. “Uh… yeah….”
“I promise we won’t cause any disturbances this time.” He held up three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”
Abigail cocked her head. “Were you a Boy Scout?”
“I was! I can still tie all the knots, which comes in handy more often than one might expect.” To the waitress, who halfheartedly offered them menus, he said, “The tilapia platter, if you please. Abby?”
“Wings. Hot as they come. And….” She gave Henry a suspicious look. “You gonna stop me if I order beer this time?”
“No. I’ll have what she’s having.”
“Good.” She brandished her menu at the waitress. “A pitcher and two mugs. Local. Got it?” The waitress nodded and skittered off, leaving them alone together. Abigail leaned back in her chair and met his eyes, waiting for him to restart the conversation.
“I’m not choosing them over you, you know.”
She shrugged, her expression stoic. “It’d make sense if you did. You’ve known them longer.”
He squeezed her hand. “Yes, but none of them are willing to sleep with me. I think it’s fair to say you get high priority for that alone.”
She made an effort towards not showing pleasure at the remark. “It just goes to show you’re making a poor judgment. Not thinking with the head on your shoulders.”
“Are you trying to talk me out of seeing you again? Because it’s not going to work.”
“Just playing devil’s advocate. You should be able to analyze the situation from all sides before you make a decision.”
He laughed. “You’re fishing for compliments! I thought you didn’t like it when I did that.” The waitress placed the pitcher on the table and poured them each a mug. “If you must know, I find your leadership less disagreeable than Scott’s, your figure more attractive than Emma’s, and your odor far more pleasing than Logan’s. Does that make you feel better?”
She avoided answering by taking a swig of beer, and he matched her. Putting their mugs back on the table, he saw her facade crack with a tiny smile. “You have a thing.” She pointed to her mouth. “Right here.”
“Right where?” He put a finger to his cheek. “Here?” She moved her finger so he moved his, never exactly to where she pointed. “Maybe you should get it.”
She leaned across the table and wiped the foam off his lip with two fingers, then licked them. “Much better.” She paused before she sat back down, surprising him with a swift kiss.
“Our waitress must think we’re crazy,” he said, watching her settle back into her seat.
“We are. But how would she know that?”
“You must not remember how we acted here just a week ago,” he replied. “We had a terse discussion, then I yelled at you.” He grinned at her. “Now we’re holding hands and kissing.”
Abigail put her palm to her chin, hiding a smile behind her fingers. “Who cares what a barmaid thinks? We have other people to worry about impressing.”
“Like my friends. When can you come to the mansion?”
She shook her head. “That’s a lost cause.”
“Abby, please. I know they’ll be more receptive, if only you let them.”
She pursed her mouth. “I’ll come, but only because I wanna see your room. And you have to play drums for me.”
“I’ll write you a song.”
“What would you call it?”
“’Abigail, My Spacefaring Princess.’”
She snorted. “That’s the worst name I ever heard.”
“I know! I wonder what it will sound like.”
“Guess we’ll have to find out.” Her hand tightened around his. “Next weekend?”
They beamed at each other. “I can’t wait.”
They left the bar holding hands. Only standing out on the street did they remember to take their eyes off each other. Henry’s ride idled on the street. Their hands parted and they stood by the car, neither knowing what to say or do. Henry broke the silence. “Abigail-“
She shook her hands at him. “Don’t. Nothing melodramatic.”
He took a step towards her. “Then should we…?”
She eyed the driver. “I don’t know.” Her forehead wrinkled. “We ought to do something. I just don’t know what.” Thinking about it some more, she gestured for him to get closer. “C’mere.”
They wrapped their arms around one another, holding each other long enough that the driver looked out the window and tapped his watch. Henry kissed a spot above her eyebrow before releasing her. “I’ll think of you.”
The corners of her mouth twitched. “So will I.”
“But our days will be full to bursting to keep us occupied.”
“We won’t miss each other.”
“Much,” he corrected.
She couldn’t help returning his smile. “That’s what I meant.”
“So….”
“Goodbye,” she interjected. “For now.”
“For now,” he agreed, getting into the car. As the car revved to life, she stood on the curb watching, thumbs in her pockets. The expression on her face made him wish he spent a little more time reassuring her that nothing would change in the week between when they saw each other next. Once the car pulled out of its parking space, she turned and walked away to her ship. He was glad she didn’t watch him until he was gone, if only so she didn’t know that was exactly what he was doing.
When she was out of sight, he turned around in his seat to face the front and sighed, thinking of stars. He would much rather be returning to the Peak than to the mansion. The exhilaration of budding romance aside, Scott’s decision making lately tended to raise moral qualms in Henry. At least Abigail was trying to be less ruthless, even if she did need reminding, but the X-Men under Scott’s leadership headed in the opposite direction. Death-defying missions in space took his mind off it, but now he had plenty of time to dread the arguments to come. He shifted positions in the backseat. Something in his pocket made it tight against his hip. Extracting the offending object, he discovered his S.W.O.R.D.-issue mobile phone-the same one he was sure he left on Abigail’s side table after he finished packing. When did she plant it on him? His mind went back to all the opportunities she had to touch him and he decided it was probably just outside the car. He smiled, delighted that she could still surprise him even when she wasn’t there. He stared at the phone, wondering if it was too soon to call her. She was probably embroiled in some sort of dogfight as soon as she left the atmosphere, which seemed to be how S.W.O.R.D. diplomacy worked. His smile faded-a call from him right now would either look clingy, or distract her from something important. He should wait.
The phone vibrated in his hand, and he put it to his ear immediately. “Abigail?”
“I had an idea. I didn’t want to wait to share it with you.”
“Go on…?”
“I want to put my mirrors back up. Get some art to hang on the walls. Maybe even paint my room. Or…” she took a deep breath, “our room. If you want.”
A thrill ran through him. She was thinking of him, too. “I would be honored. Why don’t we visit a gallery this weekend, we can get some prints we both like.”
“Yeah! And bring books. I’m gonna build a bookcase.”
“I’ll find a frame for that photo of you and your mother.”
“We need pictures of us, too!”
“And one to keep in my wallet.” He hoped she could hear his grin on her end. “That one should be you, with a lot less clothes on than the other pictures.”
“What!”
“It would make an excellent reminder of what I have to look forward to on my days away from the X-Men. Have no fear, Abby, I have no intentions of showing it to anyone. Well, maybe Bobby.”
He laughed at her inarticulate rage, teasing her until she laughed too. The scenery flew by outside his car and her spaceship, but neither Henry nor Abigail bothered to take notice, entrenched in their plans for next time. Every minute apart was a minute closer to when they would see each other next, and the more they missed each other, the happier their reunion would be. Being apart didn’t seem so bad as long as they could still talk to each other, lost in the glow of happiness.