It was about 9:00pm and Scott was sitting at his desk, writing his brother
a letter to tell Alex about the weird ordeal he had just gone through. He
signed it and reached for an envelope in the bottom drawer. Scott put his
letter in and set it down.
For the eighth time that evening, he heard a soft but firm knock on his door. Scott laughed to himself, shaking his head as the door opened behind him.
"I haven't changed at all in the past 15 minutes, just like I promised, Jean," he said jokingly, never turning to face the doorway. He heard the door close. Then, suddenly, he felt two slender arms wrap around him from behind.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "You just scared me earlier, that's all..."
He could easily hear the pain in her voice and it was eating him up inside to see her hurt herself like this. Scott stood up and wrapped his arms around Jean's waist, letting her rest her head against him.
A small sob escaped through her lips as she leaned on him.
"Sshh..." Scott cooed. "It's okay... I'm here now..."
She reached one of her hands to wipe away her tears. "I was so afraid... afraid you would be gone before- before I could tell you..."
He brought his eyes down to meet hers through his glasses. Scott moved one arm to brush a hand through her hair. "I know... It's okay now though..."
"I'm so afraid to lose you..." Jean whispered. Scott wasn't sure if he was supposed to hear her; she had said it so softly.
"I know." He responded. "I don't want to lose you either."
"You scare me in so many ways, Scott." She stated, finally stopping her tears.
He looked at her oddly. "What do you mean?"
She smiled, staring at the floor, a far-off look gracing her features. "You're just so... permanent, you know? I look at you, and I think, 'wow, this is who I'm supposed to be with' and that scares me, to be quite honest with you. I'm afraid to be in love with you, Scott."
Scott smiled back. "I'm afraid of you, too, Jean, but not quite the same way. I'm more afraid that you'll realize how below you I am. I'm afraid you'll look at me one day and see that I'm really not worth your time as a friend or otherwise. I'm afraid you'll leave me. And now that I finally have you all to myself, I just don't want that to happen."
She laughed softly. "I guess we'll just have to find a way to make this not so scary. You're not below me, you know. I'm lucky to have you. I really am in love with you, Scott."
"I love you, too." He said, pulling her closer. She put her arms around his neck drawing his head to her. She gently brushed her lips against his and pulled back, not wanting to rush him. He smiled and pulled her back into a deeper kiss.
When they finally pulled away, they were both breathing hard and looked a little confused.
"Don't you think...?" Scott started, but trailed off.
"That it should have been weird to kiss your best friend?" Jean replied. "I thought I was the telepath." She smiled.
"Yeah. That was definitely one of the most... normal..." he trailed off again, this time because he didn't want to offend her.
"I know. That just seemed to be so right, didn't it?" She agreed. "It's like I said, I look at you and... it just makes sense. Me and you, we make sense. This," she said, gesturing to them and their embrace, "makes sense. It's just like..."
"Like it was supposed to be like this." He added softly.
"Exactly."
For the eighth time that evening, he heard a soft but firm knock on his door. Scott laughed to himself, shaking his head as the door opened behind him.
"I haven't changed at all in the past 15 minutes, just like I promised, Jean," he said jokingly, never turning to face the doorway. He heard the door close. Then, suddenly, he felt two slender arms wrap around him from behind.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "You just scared me earlier, that's all..."
He could easily hear the pain in her voice and it was eating him up inside to see her hurt herself like this. Scott stood up and wrapped his arms around Jean's waist, letting her rest her head against him.
A small sob escaped through her lips as she leaned on him.
"Sshh..." Scott cooed. "It's okay... I'm here now..."
She reached one of her hands to wipe away her tears. "I was so afraid... afraid you would be gone before- before I could tell you..."
He brought his eyes down to meet hers through his glasses. Scott moved one arm to brush a hand through her hair. "I know... It's okay now though..."
"I'm so afraid to lose you..." Jean whispered. Scott wasn't sure if he was supposed to hear her; she had said it so softly.
"I know." He responded. "I don't want to lose you either."
"You scare me in so many ways, Scott." She stated, finally stopping her tears.
He looked at her oddly. "What do you mean?"
She smiled, staring at the floor, a far-off look gracing her features. "You're just so... permanent, you know? I look at you, and I think, 'wow, this is who I'm supposed to be with' and that scares me, to be quite honest with you. I'm afraid to be in love with you, Scott."
Scott smiled back. "I'm afraid of you, too, Jean, but not quite the same way. I'm more afraid that you'll realize how below you I am. I'm afraid you'll look at me one day and see that I'm really not worth your time as a friend or otherwise. I'm afraid you'll leave me. And now that I finally have you all to myself, I just don't want that to happen."
She laughed softly. "I guess we'll just have to find a way to make this not so scary. You're not below me, you know. I'm lucky to have you. I really am in love with you, Scott."
"I love you, too." He said, pulling her closer. She put her arms around his neck drawing his head to her. She gently brushed her lips against his and pulled back, not wanting to rush him. He smiled and pulled her back into a deeper kiss.
When they finally pulled away, they were both breathing hard and looked a little confused.
"Don't you think...?" Scott started, but trailed off.
"That it should have been weird to kiss your best friend?" Jean replied. "I thought I was the telepath." She smiled.
"Yeah. That was definitely one of the most... normal..." he trailed off again, this time because he didn't want to offend her.
"I know. That just seemed to be so right, didn't it?" She agreed. "It's like I said, I look at you and... it just makes sense. Me and you, we make sense. This," she said, gesturing to them and their embrace, "makes sense. It's just like..."
"Like it was supposed to be like this." He added softly.
"Exactly."