Phoenix/Cyclop's Bedroom

[Banshee]

Jean and Scott’s bedroom is one of the few larger rooms on the estate, needing the extra space. Scott basically let Jean decide the décor of the room, to which she readily agreed to. She changes the furnishings every now and again, but not often due to Scott’s memorization of where everything is in the room in case he needs to get around without his sunglasses. Their room is all one room but partitioned from the bedroom and the sitting area, like in an L-shape with the sitting area first.

Their room has a definite woman’s touch, but Jean took care to keep Scott’s taste in mind. Unable to not include warm colors, blacks, tans, and a touch of reds are the color scheme. Their walls are a light tan and covered with a few pictures of their time at the Institute or a painting she or Scott found interesting.

When entering the room the sitting area is first, where there are two large tan wing armchairs seated around a round hickory-colored wooden table, open and inviting. A brown/red throw covers each. There’s an ottoman in front of one of the chairs, dubbed as “Scott’s chair.” Another wing chair sits on either side of the wall by the door, out of the way, and can be moved over should it be needed for guests. A potted plant sits on a small table near one of the spare chairs. A fireplace sits on the wall across from the table and armchairs, to the right when walking in the door. Pictures and photos line the walls. There is a small partition jutting out from the sitting area and the bedroom, giving them much needed privacy.

After walking past the partition, the bathroom door is on the left, which is decorated in the same black, tan and warm colored décor as their room, but with more white. They share the medicine cabinet and the area below the sink, which is next to the toilet. There is a large bathtub for bathing as well as a glass-encased shower.

The bathroom is next to the walk-in closet that they both technically share, but Jean’s clothes take up about three-fourths of the closet. To the right and towards the back is their queen-sized bed. A combination of black, tan, and a bit of red graces the comforter and pillows over their Spire Four Poster black wood canopy bed. At the foot is a black padded bench which can be used for storage.

Next to the bed on both sides is a matching black wooden end table with silver handles, one end table for each of them, with a bedside lamp on each. To the right of the bed is a black wooden bureau that they both share with a picture and a knick-knack on it, as well as a few candles. To the left of the bed against the wall near the windows is a black wooden dresser which they both share as well, which has a memento and a candle on it. A foot or so away is a small vanity with a mirror on top, which Jean has adopted to place her personal affects and other such items where she can sit on the bench there to get ready for the day if needed.

On the top of Jean’s end table is a picture of her and Scott in an embrace from their earlier days at the mansion, before the war began. Next to that is a picture of Jean, Scott, Sean, Betsy, and Charles, taken days before his death. A few books rest below her nightstand as well.

Jean and Scott's room is located on the end of the hallways in the Girls' Dorm.

[Cyclops]

Scott stood under the shower, letting the hot water wash over him. He should have been up hours ago, already in his office, but he had stayed up to all ungodly hours balancing the school budgets sheets so the schools 'extra' expenses wouldn't be noticeable. He'd been lucky to be able to slip a few things this time. Everything had to be done in small amounts, or someone might start asking uncomfortable questions.

He leaned forward under the shower head, letting the spray pound his tense shoulders for awhile. Jean had not said anything last night when he'd crawled into bed at three in the morning, nor when he'd gotten up at seven instead of his usual five in morning. She'd probably shut off his alarm clock. Or he'd forgotten to turn it on. He didn't know and he wasn't about to accuse her of anything. Jean was the only thing that kept him from working himself to death trying to run the school and assemble their secret army of mutants to oppose the tyrannical rule of Magneto.

Scott reached up and lifted the left side of his bathing goggles, rubbing the scar over his ruined eye. It ached this morning and he already had a headache from too much stress and too little sleep. He'd take some aspirin after he got out of the shower. For now he would linger a bit longer, enjoying the water and the quiet. He'd have enough to worry about when he emerged from the shower.

[Phoenix]

Scott had pulled another one of his late nights in the office. When Jean went up to bed at midnight, he was still over on his side of the partition, crunching away numbers well into the night. Kissing him goodnight she left, knowing she’d be spending another night falling asleep without him beside her. With delegating a school like this one, it came with the territory. That didn’t mean it wasn’t a little disappointing. But Jean and Scott were devoted to their cause, and the sacrifices they made were not in vain. Not as long as one day, everything changed. As long as Jean had breath in her body, it would change. The X-Men would help it happen.

Sensing him come in around 3am, Jean woke temporarily from her light sleep, able to rest better now knowing that he was going to bed. She said nothing though, staying still as his mind drifted off. Soon following, Jean woke hours later, around six in the morning. Usually Scott was the first one awake, dressed and ready to go. This time she was pleasantly surprised to find the warmth of his body lying still next to her. Turning ever so slightly, she studied his features, the contours of his sleeping goggles as his chest rose, then fell, in steady breaths. He had a long night, and deserved to rest. Gently kissing his cheek Jean rose, careful not to disturb him. Heading to the shower she washed up and dressed quietly, slipping on her dark grey ribbed shirt with the X-symbol on the front, and black pants. Brushing out her hair she dried it quietly with her teke, leaving it down before heading down to their adjoining offices. She would take care of the incoming mail and begin addressing that day’s activities in her office until everyone else woke.

Twenty minutes later, Jean glanced up from her desk. Scott had woken and was taking a shower. Feeling the stress in his mind through their mental rapport, Jean closed the windows on her laptop and stood, locking her office door, and went back upstairs to their room.

Entering quietly she passed the sitting room, heading back to the more private quarters of their bedroom. She knew Scott would sense that it was her. Slipping into the bathroom she pulled out a small glass and the small bottle of aspirin out of the medicine cabinet, filling the glass and setting both on the sink counter. Leaving the door ajar a little, she left, heading to their closet, scanning Scott’s clothing.

< Good morning, Darling. Want me to set out anything for you? > Jean asked, knowing how he was when it came to decisions. Very precise, and usually preferred doing it himself, which is why she asked. She hoped he took his time in the shower, letting the water ease some of his tension. Something told her they’d have an eventful day at the mansion today.

[Cyclops]

Scott sensed Jean enter their room. She'd been gone when he had woken up, leaving behind only the scents of her perfume and shampoo, and slight humidity from her shower. She hadn't even attempted to wake him, knowing he needed the extra sleep. Not that four hours was enough sleep, but he refused to stay abed any longer. He had work to do, classes to teach and a budget to submit.

As he scrubbed his hair, he heard Jean open the door to the bathroom, rummage in the medicine cabinet and run the sink. Then she left, not closing the door all the way behind her.

< Good morning, Darling. Want me to set out anything for you? > His wife voice came through their link, a link he was glad she had asked to establish when they'd married. Scott had a difficult time expressing his feelings, even more so since Xavier's death. The man had been the only father figure he'd ever had, and losing him had felt like he'd lost part of himself. Only Jean could fill that void, only she really understood how he felt, what they all had lost.

Rinsing the shampoo from his hair, Scott thought about her question. His wardrobe was composed of colors that coordinated well regardless of how he combined them. It was rather drab, but the ruby quartz lenses he had to wear to contain his powers rendered him effectively colorblind. Everything was red. Even with his simplified, conservative wardrobe, he decided to take advantage of Jean's offer. It was one less thing to worry about and his wife had better fashion sense then he did anyway.

< Morning, > he returned her greetings as he pulled open the shower. < And please. My head is killing me this morning. > He knew Jean could sense that and as he wiped the water from the lens of his goggles he could see the aspirin bottle and the glass of water waiting for him. A small smile flashed across his face. His wife thought of everything. Even if she wasn't a powerful telepath, she was one of those empathetic women who always seemed to know exactly what you needed to make you feel better. What he'd ever done to deserve her, he'd never know. < And thank you, honey. You read my mind. > Yeah, it was a bad joke, but he indulged in them on occasion in the privacy of their link.

He toweled off his hair, then took two of the aspirin and downed the water. He traded his sleeping goggles for his ruby-quartz sunglasses, keeping his eye tightly shut the whole time. Pulling on his plain dark blue robe, he hung up his towel neatly on the rack and stepped from the bathroom into their bedroom.

Scott crossed the room to Jean, who was examining his rather dull wardrobe. He watched her in silence for a few heartbeats, wondering again how he'd gotten lucky enough to catch her eye, and even more miraculously, had her agree to spend the rest of her life at his side. She was beautiful, vibrant, intelligent, and gentle, yet she had more determination and courage than anyone he'd ever known. And he was still as madly in love with her as the day she'd first opened her eyes and spoken to him.

He moved to her side, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "You let me oversleep," he accused lightly. "I'm never going to hear the end of it, you know."

[Phoenix]

As Scott greeted her good morning through their rapport, Jean picked up on the small pain his headache was giving him and was glad he took some aspirin. Sending him a small wave of comfort she frowned slightly. She could ebb the pain and would mention it if the headache didn’t go away soon.

< And thank you, honey. You read my mind. > Jean chuckled slightly at his joke, as obvious as it was. It was the little things like this that she loved about him. Rarely did he show his teasing side to anyone not close to him. With how he presented himself outside their bedroom walls, it was hard for anyone to even imagine he had a playful side. It was crazy-talk to even think it. But he does. Scott didn’t let his walls down to trust just anyone; he was very selective. And Jean was grateful she was one of the blessed people who saw this side of him. How many people could say they’ve heard Scott Summers joke mischievously, much less smile? Not many. Oh, the stories Jean could tell.

Standing in front of their walk-in closet she began glancing over his clothing. Everything he had basically matched, though there were times he’d chosen brown pants with a black shirt, or accidentally mismatched his socks if he was doing the laundry. Sorting through the smaller section that was his (partially due to the spillover of Jean’s clothing onto his hangars), she chose a pair of black slacks and a comfortable royal blue shirt, with a silver, blue, and black tie optional. Being the co-headmaster of the Institute, they both had to dress to impress, in case any unannounced visits by important officials were made.

Becides that she had brought out his X-uniform, complete with black leather pants and black shirt with the X-symbol on the shoulders and hung it on the front of the closet door. Because one of her first classes of the day was Telekinetics and Kinetic energy, Jean had dressed in her uniform attire for the DR room later. She decided to give Scott the choice of either semi-casual or his uniform, whichever he preferred.

Feeling him walk up behind her she turned and smiled as he kissed her cheek, "You let me oversleep," Jean grinned at the accusing tone in his voice, "I'm never going to hear the end of it, you know." True, the staff would give him a hard time, especially Sean and Betsy, and probably Remy. It was all in good fun, and Jean had to admit she enjoyed it when they joked with him about it.

"You needed the sleep," Jean replied sincerely, turning to him catching his eye behind his sunglasses, hoping the aspirin would kick in soon. Not that he'd had enough, but he needed what he could get. She held outfit one consisting of his slacks, shirt and tie over one arm, "But if anyone mentions anything, you could always bring up the extra-early DR sessions everyone loves so much," Teasing, her eyes sparked as she smiled, giving him a quick kiss in return. Early morning Danger Room sessions were a much despised activity among some of the students as well as some of the teachers. It was a well known fact that misbehavior or failure to abide by the rules could earn an "Early Morning Death Drill," as Jean heard some of the students call it.

A drop of water fell onto his forehead from his damp hair and Jean reached up, wiping it away with her thumb. The contact still sent tingles up her skin, something she never grew tired of. "But," Jean’s brow curved teasingly, "Since it’s already later than usual.." Running her fingers behind the lapel of his robe innocently, Jean retracted her free hand, placing it on the outfit over her arm. With it already being past time of his normal morning routine, Jean had a feeling she knew how he would react, but enjoyed watching the features on his face and sharing their emotions through their mental bond. It wasn’t a bad way to start the day.

[Cyclops]

"You needed the sleep,", Jean said softly, holding an dress outfit for him. "But if anyone mentions anything, you could always bring up the extra-early DR sessions everyone loves so much."

She had also pulled out his training uniform, which he needed. His first class this morning was Targeting. It had only taken Scott a few years of practicing to regain his phenomenal ability to judge trajectory and target after losing his eye. Of course, he'd trained in every spare moment he could until he had. Xavier had theorized it was part of his mutation and perhaps that was why he was still a dead-eye with his blast.

He cracked a smile, pulling out a hanger for the clothes Jean had chosen for him. "I'll take those with me," he told her. "I hate wearing my training uniform for math classes. I feel like the students at staring at my clothes instead of the monitors."

Scott almost dropped the hanger when Jean ran her fingers down the side of his face and under his robe for few heartbeats, her fingertips teasing the skin on his chest. "But since it’s already later than usual.." she teased lightly. Her thoughts were even more suggestive.

He let out a soft groan, almost glad when she removed her hand. Now, if he could just get the emotions and thoughts out of his mind. Sometimes, being linked into his wife's mind was a disadvantage. Especially when his wife was a stunning redhead with a very active imagination. And especially when he had a mountain of paperwork to do and a class in twenty minutes.

It would take him a few minutes to get dressed and at least ten minutes to get across the mansion and out to the tennis court where his class was held. He did the math twice, just in case, and let out a long heavy breath. "You're a cruel, cruel woman, Red," he replied, trying to sound reprimanding and failing. "Tormenting me like that when you know we don't have time."

Reaching past Jean, he grabbed his training uniform. "Behave yourself young lady, or you'll been spending time in the headmaster's office after class," he teased back, sending thoughts of just what that might entail. Two could play that game, as the link worked both ways.

Pressing a soft, slow kiss to his wife's lips, Scott handed her the hanger for his dress clothing. He dressed in his uniform quickly. They didn't have time for any 'extracurricular' activities right now, but hopefully, he did have time to grab a cup of coffee and glance at the Times before he did have to get to his class.

He pulled on the black leather boots and half gloves that complete his training uniform, then retrieved one of his ruby-quartz lined visors from the box on top of his dresser. He left it off for now, tucking it into the case hanging from his belt. Heading for the door, he held it open for his wife. "Join me for coffee, Mrs. Summers?"

[Phoenix]

After Scott commented on feeling as if the students focused more on his uniform than the lessons during his math classes, Jean couldn’t help but think he was probably right. Their uniforms were particularly snug (for good reason), and Scott’s was no exception. Bringing herself back to the present Jean hid her tiny smile, sensing the surprise and tingle of emotions brought on by her touch and hidden proposal. Hearing him groan and feel him contemplating the suggestion, she was unable to hide her smirk.

"You're a cruel, cruel woman, Red," Scott tried to sound firm but couldn’t. Not with what was floating around in his head right now. "Tormenting me like that when you know we don't have time." Jean arched a brow mischievously at his assessment and then smiled at his nickname for her. He’d been using it for years and she never grew tired of hearing it.

Jean mock-pouted a bit before releasing a sigh, "Can’t blame a girl for trying, Slim," Though she hadn’t expected him to actually go along with it, part of her couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment. But she also knew he had classes in a bit, and if anything his sense of responsibility almost always overcame any sense of providing for himself. Devoted to the cause, first and foremost. Jean couldn’t help but admire that about him. It drove her nuts sometimes (like when he pushed himself too far), but she loved him for his selflessness, too.

"Behave yourself young lady, or you'll been spending time in the headmaster's office after class," Scott had taken his uniform off the closet door as he sent some very interesting images to her through their rapport. Having to pause a moment and remember that they actually had work to get to instead of actually performing some of those images, Jean quickly shook her head, impressed and annoyed at his restraint. He could be so frustrating, yet so rousing at the same time. Jean could only imagine the looks of shock and disbelief if anyone else heard Scott talk like this, much less the thoughts that ran through his head.

"Detention, again?" Jean leaned up as Scott approached closer, "Promise?" Jean asked just as his lips came to meet hers, returning his kiss with an equal gentle caress. Taking the hangar after they separated Jean hung up his dress clothes, hanging them neatly so they wouldn’t wrinkle as they were taken with them. Enjoying the view as he changed, Jean had to again remind herself that they had business to attend to, but that didn’t stop her from thinking of ways to ‘accidentally’ get in trouble.

When Scott was finished getting dressed he held open the door, "Join me for coffee, Mrs. Summers?" Draping his dress clothes carefully over her arm, Jean smiled and nodded, "Of course, Mr. Summers. I thought you'd never ask." Giving him a wink Jean placed any thoughts of any ‘extracurricular activities’ to the back of her mind and focused on the day’s schedule, beginning to sift through it in her mind. But coffee first. Yes, it would definitely help.



[ Exit Cyclops (with permission) and Phoenix to ”Kitchen/Dining Room” ]