Among the Strong
Feb. 29th, 2024 01:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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marysuevirusTitle: Among the Strong
Chapter Seven: Conversations
Fandom: the Marvel universe
Rating: 18 and up
Warnings: graphic violence, language, sex, dark themes, anything else i can toss in.
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters and places contained herein are the property of Marvel. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. Haley belongs todazzledfirestar Morgan belongs toginevra Roxxy belongs tonanaeanaven Jehnna belongs to silverfox_chan and Dare belongs to me. the concept and title of The Mary Sue Virus are used with permission from dazzledfirestar .
Author's Notes: this is almost entirely Daz's fault. okay. so it really isn't. its actually almost 100% my fault. Daz just did a whole lot of encouraging. this fic is going to be kind of dark, so please keep that in mind while reading.
Among the Strong - the index
Johnny stood in the doorway for a few moments, simply staring at the kids as they kept themselves entertained. TJ sat at a toddler-sized table, several sheets of paper laid out before her and a box of large crayons spilled across them. She had the blue one in hand and was avidly moving the tip across the piece of paper laid out before her. Cassie and Aden were caught up in a board game. Judging by the look on Aden's face, Cassie was cheating. Again. But they hadn't started verbally sparring, so she wasn't cheating that much. Preston was seated in his favorite chair, a very worn teddy clutched to his chest, staring out the window at the city skyline. Spencer was playing with his toy cars, crashing them into one another repeatedly. He was even making the appropriate noises.
It was such a normal sight. And it made his heart ache in his chest. These were the mornings Haley liked best.
Thoughts of her saw him looking for the link. Saw him poking it with a mental finger. It was still nothing but static, of course. But he swore it was a little weaker than yesterday. Surely that couldn't be. It had to be his imagination, spurred on by the growing worry and fear.
He watched his kids play for a while longer before taking a step into the room. The moment he did, TJ looked up and spotted him. "Daddy!" she squealed with delight.
He watched as she slid off her tiny chair before rushing toward him on her chubby little legs. By the time she stood before him, her arms were up in silent insistence that he pick her up and hold her. Johnny obliged, scooping her up so that he could hug her close. If he buried his face in her hair for a moment, he didn't think the others would notice.
He drew a deep breath of her baby powder and sunshine smell, then looked up. TJ leaned in and pressed a wet, sloppy toddler kiss to his lips before she started rambling about her dollies. The rest of his children were looking at him. He could see Haley in each of their faces. Some of them looked more obviously like Haley than the others, but she was still present in all of them. Even if her presence was something small. That familiarity was heart warming. And it was heart breaking all at the same time.
"What's up, Dad?" Spencer asked, setting his cars aside to give Johnny his full attention. His question saw Cassie turning away fom the game she was playing with Aden, who was already looking his way. Preston hadn't left his chair, but he was looking Johnny's way.
"I need to talk to you guys," he replied, making sure all of his children knew they were included. The playroom was mostly for the kids, some place to go to occupy themselves when either he or Haley had to deal with one thing or another. Spencer kept an eye on his siblings without being told, a doting older brother if only so he could terrorize and torture them properly.
The room was bright and cheery, the walls painted in various colors and filled with both art prints created for kids and art prints created by kids. TJ's latest finger painting was hung up near the table where she had just been sitting not a minute ago. Shelves of books lined one wall. There was a television on another wall where they could watch movies or play video games. There were games, cards, and so many other things for them to do, all of it scattered around the room in zones. There was also a spot that had adult-sized chairs. It was to one of these that Johnny went.
Even as he settled in the seat, the others were joining him. TJ squirmed until Johnny set her in his lap. Aden and Preston sat on the floor near his feet. Cassie took a seat in another of the chairs. Spencer remained standing, just a little behind the two younger boys. He was regarding his father with a serious face. Johnny didn't like seeing that look on a kid his age.
"I want to talk to you guys about your mom," he began. It was much harder than he'd expected it to be for him to say that simple sentence. Thoughts of what Sinister could be doing to Haley at that very moment wouldn't stop playing out in his head.
"Where is Mommy?" Preston asked, his voice all sweet innocence and confusion. Preston was a momma's boy and he was almost always in the same vicinity as Haley when she was home. Johnny could already see the promise of tears in the boy's green eyes.
"You know how Mommy is an X-Man, right?" Johnny asked, focusing his attention on the boy. The question was for all of them, but especially for Preston. That blonde head nodded while his siblings all made some kind of affirmative sound. "And you know how she sometimes goes on missions with her team. Right?"
Again, he was answered with various affirmative noises. Johnny really didn't want to have this conversation with his kids. He didn't want to lie to them. That was something he felt strongly about and he never wanted to create a situation where his children couldn't trust anything he said. But he had to tell them something and he just could not tell them the truth. A little white lie couldn't hurt?
Could it?
"Well, Mommy had to go on a mission with her team yesterday. And things didn't go the way she planned for them to go. So she had to stay for a while in order to finish the mission up. She called me last night after you all went to bed to let me know that she isn't sure when she'll be home. She wanted me to tell you she loves you all very much. And she wants you to behave."
The last was for Spencer and Cassie's benefit. They were the two who made all the trouble. He was starting to see what Sue had dealt with while he'd been growing up and he knew he owed her an apology. He wasn't going to give it to her because he didn't want to hear her gloat about it all. But he definitely owed her an apology.
"Why didn't Mom call us?" Cassie demanded. Haley always made a point of calling to speak with her kids if she was away on a mission overnight. She wanted them to go to sleep with her voice ringing in their heads, telling them that she loved them and she'd be home soon.
"Because she didn't get to her hotel until well after your bedtime. And she didn't want me to wake you up. She said she'll call again when she can, but she doesn't know when it'll be. There's a lot going on where she's at." Johnny thought that sounded reasonable.
"When's Mom going to be home?" Aden asked.
"I don't know, kiddo. She doesn't, either," Johnny answered. At least that was mostly the truth.
"Why did Mommy have to go?" Preston was on the verge of tears. Johnny could see them at the corners of his eyes. His heart panged at that. He'd been so caught up in his own feelings that he'd forgotten how his children would react. He offered a faint smile to the boy.
"Its Mommy's job to go out and save the world. Just like its mine. You know that's who Mommy is. She'll be back soon, Preston. And when she comes home, she's going to squeeze you until you can't breathe. Just like she does every time she goes away to do her job."
"You promise, Daddy?" That came from Cassie, who wasn't usually a clinger. But there was a touch of fear in her voice. Maybe he hadn't done as well with hiding his feelings from them as he thought he had. Johnny drummed up a smile and hoped it looked real. Convincing.
"Of course. Mommy will be back. You'll see," he told them.
TJ chose that moment to put her head on his shoulder. He heard the yawn she gave and a glance at the clock on the wall told him it was nap time. Johnny stood and headed for the door. Already, TJ was drifting off. He left the kids to their games and toys and carried his youngest to her room. It took but a moment to settle her into her bed and tug the covers up over her. He made sure to press two kisses to her forehead, one from him and one from Haley, before he left her to sleep. When he stepped out into the hallway, Spencer was waiting for him.
"What you said back there. That was a bunch of bullcrap, Dad," Spencer said. There was a frown on his face and he had his arms crossed over his chest. Jesus Christ, he looked so much like Haley. From the look in his eyes to the way he held himself, it was blatantly obvious that he was as much Haley's child as his. Johnny felt the smallest crack in the armor he'd built to keep his emotions in check. "Tell me what's really going on."
Well, shit.
This wasn't a conversation Johnny wanted to have with his oldest child. Hell, it wasn't a conversation he wanted to have with most adults he knew. Not after learning what Sinister was capable of. But he owed it to Spencer to be honest. If he was old enough to catch the lie, he was old enough to hear the truth. It just had to be a truth a ten year old could grasp. He could do that. Couldn't he?
"What I said in the playroom, Spencer... Its mostly the truth. Your mom did go on a mission. But something happened. She went missing, along with members of her team. Aunt Roxxy is the only one who didn't go missing," he told the boy. "We don't know where your mom is. We don't know when she'll be back. But she is going to come back. And there are people out there looking for her. We'll get Mom back."
Spencer stared at him, his gaze suspicious. But also hopeful. He would never admit it, but he missed his mom as much as the others did. Finally, he gave a faint nod of his head. "Okay. Let me guess. You don't want me to tell the others anything about this."
"I don't. I need you to keep this a secret for a little while. Can you do that for me?" Johnny asked him. Spencer considered the request for a little while before nodding again.
"I can do that, Dad."
"That's my boy," Johnny said. "Do me a favor and go keep an eye on your siblings. I need to go call Uncle Henry and check on Aunt Roxxy."
"Okay." Spencer turned and headed back toward the playroom. Johnny watched him go. He needed whoever was searching for Haley and her team to find them and bring them home. Now. He needed Haley in his arms. Where she belonged.
"Come home to me, babe. Please." Johnny whispered the words into the aether before he turned and headed for the nearest phone.
~*~
The sound of the water cutting on let Jehnna know she would have a short time to herself. As much as she could be by herself when confined to one room with someone else. Her gaze slid toward the bathroom door and considered her partner.
Sam Guthrie was the sweetest guy she'd ever met. He was polite and gentle. He was a gentleman. He was smart and capable and he treated her with the utmost respect. He was... Oddly perfect. Which made her feel terrible. Because those were the kind of thoughts she should be having about Warren. Weren't they?
Guilt flooded her then, as it usually did when she compared Sam to Warren. She brought Warren's face to mind, as she'd done every day since she'd woken up in this hell. Two weeks of seeing him in her mind's eye. Two weeks of noting that, every day, his memory seemed to be a little fuzzy. Faded. As if she was forgetting him. And that scared her. How could she be forgetting her husband after such a short amount of time? How could her thoughts spend so much more time on Sam than on the man she'd declared she'd spend her life with. In sickness and in health and in everything in between.
Warren was kind. She reminded herself of that fact, of the way he'd been at her training sessions with Scott back in the beginning. Warren was polite. He'd never forced her to do anything she hadn't wanted to do. Warren was gentle. He'd never raised a hand to her in anger. He'd never done anything to her that could be considered abusive or even mean. He was always respectful and kind. There were a lot of similarities between him and Sam. Which was confusing. She was supposed to like them in Warren. She wasn't supposed to look at someone else and see those same traits in them. Was she?
The faint, off-key sound of Sam's voice floated out of the bathroom despite the door being shut. He was singing some popular song as he showered, his voice rough and masculine. The sound of it sent a thrill through Jehnna's body. She cursed that feeling and went digging for more of Warren to counter it. The first thing that came to the surface was how handsome he'd looked in his tux when they'd gotten married. And the soft look of surprise on his face when Jehnna had flowed up the aisle toward him in her wedding dress. That same look of surprise had been on his face with the birth Alexia,
She loved Warren. She told herself that firmly. She loved everything about him. He was so very handsome with beautiful blue eyes and soft blonde hair. His hair was almost softer than his wings, and his wings were the softest things she'd ever touched. Warren was kind, often times bringing her cute little things from his trips. Or he'd bring toys for the kids. Smart and funny. Gentle and polite. He was hers. Her first real love. Her first real everything. She loved him. He loved her. And he was looking for her. He had to be. He would find her and take her away from this... whatever it was Sinister was doing.
And he'd take her away from Sam.
That thought brought to life a whole slew of weird feelings. They fluttered and bubbled in her belly, leaving her with an almost queasy feeling. For some reason, she didn't like the idea of leaving Sam. And that wasn't something she could figure out. She really didn't know him that well. Oh, they talked. She'd told him about her kids. He'd told her about his siblings. They talked about the things they liked doing when they weren't out saving the world. But she didn't think those polite exchanges should be considered grounds for feeling... whatever it was she was feeling.
Jehnna frowned. She wasn't sure that two weeks was long enough to develop deep feelings for anyone. Sure, they were confined to the same room together. And they shared the same bed. They even went to some kind of exercise room together. There was also Sinister's lab and what they did together there.
That thought saw Jehnna's cheeks flushing with heat and color. They spent time in that clear cube every day. And every day, Sam laid her down on that bed and he paid homage to every inch of her flesh. His whispered words were reverent. His hands and his mouth practically worshipped her flesh. And when he finally slipped between her thighs and then slid into her... Just thinking about it made her thighs clench together.
She had to stop this. Whatever this was. She couldn't keep letting Sam treat her like some kind of precious prize. This would all come to an end eventually. It had to. And when she went home, she'd go back to Warren. God, how did she explain this to him? How did she make him understand that she hadn't wanted to have sex with someone other than him? He was going to hate her. He was going to ask for a divorce and he was going to take their kids and she'd have nothing.
Tears and panic threatened to overwhelm her. Sam's voice sounded in her head, a soft and gentle thing. It reminded her that Warren would understand. It told her that he would never hold what happened here against her. And it said very plainly that Warren would always love her. No matter what.
Sam's voice and his words helped push back the panic. Some of the worry she felt lifted away. Not all of it. There was always a touch of worry lingering somewhere in the back of her brain. But those words, said in his voice, made things seem less daunting. She wasn't going to examine too closely why the voice in her head, the one she heard talking her out of a panic, was Sam's and not Warren's.
The sound of running water died away. Jehnna knew what was going to happen, so she lifted the book she'd taken from the shelf and opened it. Put her nose in it and tried to focus on the words. But her eyes slid away from the page the moment the bathroom door opened. Sam stepped out into the main room in a pair of shorts and a tank top. His hair was in wild disarray from being towel dried. Beads of water dripped from the ends and clung to his shoulders. Or raced down his arms. She felt a tiny thrill of something slide through her.
He was so easy on the eyes. She liked that he was comfortable in his skin. That he was confident in himself. That comfort and confidence showed in the way he moved. He was all easy, natural grace. She especially liked the way his skin felt against hers. How firm his muscles were when she ran her hands over them. She liked the way he kissed her. And she liked the way he tasted.
She frowned. She told herself, for what had to be the hundredth time that day, that she wasn't allowed to like the way Sam felt and tasted and looked. She was married to Warren. When this was all over, she'd go home to Warren. she'd pick the frayed threads of her life up and tie them back together. She'd go back to being Warren's wife and the mother of his children and...
That thought stopped her in her tracks. For a moment, she wondered if that was all she was. Warren's wife. The mother of his children. No. That wasn't all she was. She was an X-Man and Warren was proud of her for that. He was a good husband and a good father. He treated her as an equal. He helped take care of their children. He...
"Jehnna?" Sam's voice filled her head and left no room for thoughts. She could hear a touch of concern in her name, so she looked up at him. "Is something the matter? You looked a little lost there for a minute?"
His concern made her smile. She shook her head and found a smile for him. "There's nothing the matter. I was just thinking about some things."
"You must have been thinking pretty hard. You didn't hear me call your name the first couple of times." The concerned look left his face and was replaced with a small, soft smile. Jehnna felt her heart speed up in her chest while heat flooded her from her head to her toes. She tried to push it away, but having him look at her the way he was only served to make her feel warmer. She was certain she could stare into his eyes forever.
"I'm sorry," she told him.
"There's nothing to be sorry for, Jehnna. I'm just checking to make sure you're okay." Sam's smile grew just a little bit. Enough to make her hungry for one of the really fantastic smiles he'd given her a time or two already. Then his hand was on her shoulder, the warmth of his palm soaking through the scant amount of clothing she wore to work its way deep into her body. And her body, confused thing that it was, sent heat flooding all through her until she felt like she was on fire. With want and need. For Sam.
It was so confusing to be in love with one man but attracted to another. She knew changing partners was some kind of unwritten rule at the institute. She could well remember how Morgan was going out with a different guy all the time. She went through the male population of the school, students and teachers alike, like they were Kleenex. And she seemed to recall that Dare kind of did the same thing, though it was on a much smaller scale.
How did they do that? How did they float from one man to the next without being consumed by runaway feelings and foreign needs? Jehnna could honestly believe that Morgan would handle things so much better if she was in the same situation. Why couldn't she be more like Morgan? Why did her heart have to get involved? Why did she have to like Sam so much?
~*~
He eyed the bathroom's closed door with a faint sense of self-loathing. Haley was in the tub. Again. She used the tub every time they came back from one of their visits to Sinister's lab. He had to admit that he tended to be pretty rough with her anytime they were inside that damned cube. Scott was fairly certain that Sinister was hitting them with extra doses of the pheromones or whatever it was he was using. And that was on top of what he pumped into their room. It made him think the creepy old freak really enjoyed watching him practically savage Haley.
Every time they'd come back from the cube, Scott had needed to carry Haley because he'd used her so hard. He was honestly surprised that she could still look him in the eye.
He'd tried to apologize for his behavior. Once or twice. But Haley had assured him more than once that she was fine and there was nothing for him to worry over. He had a hard time believing that. It didn't matter that she screamed his name every time he brought her to climax. It didn't matter that there were scratch marks on his arms and back in various states of healing. That there were bite marks on his neck that made it look like he'd been attacked by a vampire. He honestly figured it was because of the pheromones. That she enjoyed his attention because she was more or less being drugged into horniness. The pleasure she took from his sexual proclivities was, he felt, a result of the chemicals messing with her brain.
A part of him felt as if he should try to tone things down. Spend less time pounding into her like he was hammering in a two by four and more time bringing forth sensations and feelings that weren't as damaging and harmful to her physical and emotional well being. It was hard, though. Because it had been so long since he'd been able to let this part of himself step out of the shadows.
There was something... freeing in the way she accepted that part of him that he'd been so careful about keeping hidden. And it boggled his mind that Haley didn't seem to be bothered by his more aggressive side. In fact, she almost seemed to relish it. That relish, that... desire, was the most potent kind of aphrodisiac he'd ever encountered. He really, really did not want to give that up. Because he knew, once they returned home, he'd have to put that part of himself away again.
Home. That meant Jean. That meant trying to explain all that had gone on here. Which wouldn't be as easy as it sounded. Sure. Weird shit happened with the X-Men all the time. Explaining that Sinister had captured them and used very effective pheromones to get them hornier than anything would explain the situation to most people. But it was a harder sell when one's significant other was a telepath and could read in his mind all the things that didn't get said aloud. Jean would not understand.
Guilt rose up in an attempt to swallow him down. He knew, logically, that he didn't have anything to feel guilty about. This entire situation was beyond his control. But he was cognizant of his own shortcomings, most of which centered around just how fucking turned on Haley screaming his name during climax was. And yes, if he was being honest with himself, Haley was very easy on the eyes. Tall and statuesque were only two of the descriptors he could apply to her. There were so many others.
Smart. Capable. Strong. Loyal. Bewitching. Beautiful.
Again, he was assaulted by the image of her gone to stone, taking the bar of weights from his hands as if it had weighed nothing. Again, the sight of her righteous fury and indignation saw his cock twitching eagerly. She'd been breathtaking in that moment. Beautiful in her anger. Unto a goddess with her flaming hair and pale skin. Scott had to admit that it appeared he had a thing for redheads. At the time, though, he'd been startled and angry with being disturbed and called out. He could say now, looking back, that he'd been acting as much of an asshole as her team had accused him of being. And there really wasn't any excuse for his behavior at the time. Other than he'd seen what being at the school had done to Harper. What losing Harper and done to Haley. He hadn't thought she'd understood what it would mean to lead a team and possibly lose one of them. He'd wanted to spare her that kind of pain.
At least, that's what he'd told himself. Was that the truth, though? Had he had other reasons for trying to sabotage Jehnna's training? He liked to think that wasn't what he'd been doing. He'd seen a young girl, with no concept of control, with a power that could prove destructive and dangerous if not harnessed properly. Maybe he'd been harder on her than he'd meant to be. But Jehnna wouldn't have lasted long on a team without the discipline required to work as part of a team. And he hadn't wanted to see what losing a friend would do to Haley.
That was a worry, a fear, that constantly lived inside of him. That he would lose friends. That he'd lose those he loved. Being an X-Men was like putting a target on one's back. All manner of people would come gunning for you simply because you were different. Humans and mutants. There would always be bigots and cowards that tried to blame the mutant community for all of their woes. And the X-Men were high visibility. The moment Haley and her friends had gone on that first mission, unauthorized, they'd set themselves up for all kinds of hatred and danger.
It was bad enough that he had to live with the fear that something would happen to Jean. That he'd have to spend his life without her at his side. But now, there was a voice at the back of his head that told him he would have that same fear living in his head where Haley was concerned. No matter what came of their captivity, he was certain Haley would hold a place in his heart. And if that didn't fucking make things so much more complicated than they were supposed to be...
"Fuck," he breathed. Because he was starting to understand something else. This captivity was going to totally fuck with everything. And there was no way to ignore that. He could already see the signs that things were changing. He and Haley shared the bed and it was always... pleasant when he woke with her curled up against him. He liked having her head resting on his chest. Her arm thrown over his stomach. Her leg across his thighs. He liked the feel of her skin against his. The smell of her hair. The sound of her voice and the way she hummed under her breath, an almost absent action that suggested she didn't realize she was doing it. It was cute and it warmed his heart and he really liked it.
His brain stopped for a moment as it turned over everything he'd just thought. "Double fuck," he muttered. Because, the way his brain was going on about Haley, there was only one conclusion he could come to. He was starting to...
That thought cut off before he could fully finish it as the bathroom door opened and a cloud of steam escaped before the object of his thoughts stepped out of the small room. She was in a tank top and a pair of shorts. The tank was a soft, baby blue that looked good against her paleness. The shorts were black. Her hair was wet and hung around her shoulders in a tumbled mess that suggested she'd used the towel to rub as much moisture from it as she could. And she was staring right at him with an intense look that saw more blood rushing to his cock. "Triple fuck."
"Did you say something, Scott?" Haley asked.
"Nothing," he replied. "I was just thinking. And I think we need to talk."
"You're right. We do. We need to talk about things between us," she agreed. She ventured closer to him, her movements fluid but slow. As if she wasn't sure she was welcome. Or maybe she was holding herself back. He knew what the pheromones did to his body. He had no clue what they were doing to hers.
Haley joined him on the love seat, careful to settle herself as far from him as she was able. He would have laughed, but it wasn't funny. Because he didn't know if she was staying away because she really couldn't stand him or because she was afraid she'd jump his bones if she got too close.
The two of them stared at one another. There was the faint hint of a blush on Haley's cheeks, and he had to wonder if it was a result of the bath she'd just taken or if it was more to do with her proximity to him and whatever she felt they needed to discuss. Whatever the reason, he kind of liked how she looked with that blush staining her cheeks.
"What's on your mind?" he asked her. Mostly as a way to drag his thoughts away from throwing her down on the love seat and fucking her senseless. Again. Something he'd just done not more than half an hour ago.
Haley stared at him a moment, her eyes drifting over his chest with a heavy dose of need that suggested she didn't really register doing it. When her gaze returned to his face, she offered him a small smile and heaved a sigh. "So, since it looks like we're going to be stuck here for a while and whatever Sinister is pumping into the air is going to continue to play with our senses, I was thinking that maybe we should talk about what we need from one another."
Scott was only slightly surprised. It was such an intuitive statement that he had no doubt Haley had been thinking about this for some time now. "You know I've been married to Johnny for a long time. now. And you and Jean have been together for what seems like forever."
"Thanks, Stone. Is that your way of saying I'm old?" he said. There was just the right amount of teasing in his voice because she offered him another smile, this one wider than before.
"You're far from old, Summers. And you know it." There was laughter in her voice. She shook her head at him. "Quit fishing for compliments. You're in the prime of your life."
Scott inclined his head to acknowledge her statement. It wasn't exactly a statement about being attracted to his looks, but it was nice of her to say it. Besides, he could still clearly recall the lust in her gaze when she'd gotten a look at him their first day here together. He was pretty sure that it hadn't just been the pheromones doing their job.
"All I mean to say is that, because of those relationships and how established they are, we're both used to a certain level of intimacy and we even expect it. But we're not with our partners now. Despite that, our needs aren't going to change. So I thought we should talk about what kind of intimacy we need in our daily lives. Beyond the sex because... " she trailed off, as if not sure of her words. He liked that uncertainty. It was kind of hot.
"The sex is an intimacy, but not always the required kind of intimacy," he supplied. She nodded, a relieved smile breaking across her face. It was a beautiful smile and he liked it. A lot.
"Exactly," she responded. Then she stopped and drew a breath. Sighed as she released it. It almost seemed as if she was faltering because he could see she wanted to say something, but the words didn't come quite so quickly or easily as she maybe wanted them to. Frowning, she took a breath and then blew it out in a huff of air. "Sorry. I'm not exactly good at this whole... articulating my needs thing."
"I understand. Take your time," he encouraged. He watched as Haley shifted her position. And he realized she'd moved closer, if only by an inch or so. And then he realized he'd done the same thing without really taking note of it. He'd shifted to face her and had ended up moving closer to where she sat. Something inside of him liked that they were closing the gap both physically and emotionally. He thought it was significant, but he put that aside for the moment.
"So, look. I know we're both stuck in this... whatever. And I know we can't avoid the sex. Sinister has seen to that," she said. He watched as her gaze flicked lower. At the same time, his gaze made note of the way her nipples pressed against the material of the sports bra she wore. When her eyes returned to his, he could see the heat in them that never really went away. And when she licked her lips... His cock jumped in his shorts. "And don't get me wrong, the sex is amazing."
Her words saw his attention shifting to the bruise that marred the pale perfection of her shoulder. She saw the direction of his stare and followed it, glancing at the bruise herself. Then she offered him a smile that seemed incongruous with the darkness of that mark. "Stop worrying over that mark, Scott. It isn't the worst I've had. And I doubt it'll be the last. I just keep the bruises hidden under the uniform."
He considered that confession a moment. Interesting, because Haley had always seemed so... He didn't really know. Uptight was the wrong word. He'd apply that one to Jean before Haley. Straight-laced wasn't really the right word, either. He didn't know what word he'd use, but she'd just never struck him as being into that kind of thing so much. "I see. I never would have guessed."
"Most people wouldn't," she told him. She sighed again. Shifted again. She was only mere inches from him. his hands itched with the desire to hold her. To feel the softness of her skin under them. "But that isn't what I wanted to talk about. I was thinking while I was in the tub. And I need you to know that I need more than just the sex."
Scott stared at her, a touch of confusion in his expression. Haley glanced away a minute, as if she were suddenly uncomfortable. "What do you mean, Haley?"
"I need... aftercare," she told him. Her eyes swung back to meet his and he could see the need there in them. "I like it when you carry me. I like being close. But I need more than that. I... I need you to hold me. Cuddle with me. I need you to make sure that I'm okay and to just let me know that I matter. Even if its just pretend."
He considered her words, the whole time watching her as she resolutely stared him down. She looked slightly uncomfortable, leading him to believe she was serious about not being good at articulating her needs. There was something about holding someone he cared about in his arms. And having them hold him back. Hadn't he just been thinking about that before she'd exited the bathroom?
"Look, I know we've only been here two weeks, but... I've gotten used to waking up in your arms. I actually kind of like it," she said. Then her eyes drifted away and he realized she was nervous. Confused. Scared.
"I like it, too," he told her. That brought her gaze back to his face, her eyes wide with shock as she considered the validity of his words. A moment later, her smile returned, much wider and more welcoming than before. "In fact, this is exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. We're in this for a while and it would make our lives so much easier if we talked about what we need from one another. What we expect from one another."
"You're right. It would," she nodded. They stared at one another for a while, both of them silent. Then Haley offered him a smile. "So. Does this mean we can cuddle? You know. After sex."
Scott considered answering her with words. But the desire to hold her in his arms was too strong. So he reached out and slid an arm around her shoulders. Drew her across the last inch or so of space between them so that he could tug her up against his side. She was stiff in his hold for a moment or two. Then she relaxed and slid an arm across his chest. Her head came to rest on his shoulder, their bodies lined up against one another.
Silence settled around them, comfortable and welcome. He relaxed into the feeling of her body next to his. Haley shifted slightly and it felt, for just a second, like her lips had brushed very lightly against the skin covering his upper chest. That idea was blown away when she let go a breath that gusted across his chest and his thoughts shifted in another direction entirely.
Chapter Seven: Conversations
Fandom: the Marvel universe
Rating: 18 and up
Warnings: graphic violence, language, sex, dark themes, anything else i can toss in.
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters and places contained herein are the property of Marvel. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. Haley belongs to
dazzledfirestar Morgan belongs toginevra Roxxy belongs tonanaeanaven Jehnna belongs to silverfox_chan and Dare belongs to me. the concept and title of The Mary Sue Virus are used with permission from dazzledfirestar . Author's Notes: this is almost entirely Daz's fault. okay. so it really isn't. its actually almost 100% my fault. Daz just did a whole lot of encouraging. this fic is going to be kind of dark, so please keep that in mind while reading.
Among the Strong - the index
Johnny stood in the doorway for a few moments, simply staring at the kids as they kept themselves entertained. TJ sat at a toddler-sized table, several sheets of paper laid out before her and a box of large crayons spilled across them. She had the blue one in hand and was avidly moving the tip across the piece of paper laid out before her. Cassie and Aden were caught up in a board game. Judging by the look on Aden's face, Cassie was cheating. Again. But they hadn't started verbally sparring, so she wasn't cheating that much. Preston was seated in his favorite chair, a very worn teddy clutched to his chest, staring out the window at the city skyline. Spencer was playing with his toy cars, crashing them into one another repeatedly. He was even making the appropriate noises.
It was such a normal sight. And it made his heart ache in his chest. These were the mornings Haley liked best.
Thoughts of her saw him looking for the link. Saw him poking it with a mental finger. It was still nothing but static, of course. But he swore it was a little weaker than yesterday. Surely that couldn't be. It had to be his imagination, spurred on by the growing worry and fear.
He watched his kids play for a while longer before taking a step into the room. The moment he did, TJ looked up and spotted him. "Daddy!" she squealed with delight.
He watched as she slid off her tiny chair before rushing toward him on her chubby little legs. By the time she stood before him, her arms were up in silent insistence that he pick her up and hold her. Johnny obliged, scooping her up so that he could hug her close. If he buried his face in her hair for a moment, he didn't think the others would notice.
He drew a deep breath of her baby powder and sunshine smell, then looked up. TJ leaned in and pressed a wet, sloppy toddler kiss to his lips before she started rambling about her dollies. The rest of his children were looking at him. He could see Haley in each of their faces. Some of them looked more obviously like Haley than the others, but she was still present in all of them. Even if her presence was something small. That familiarity was heart warming. And it was heart breaking all at the same time.
"What's up, Dad?" Spencer asked, setting his cars aside to give Johnny his full attention. His question saw Cassie turning away fom the game she was playing with Aden, who was already looking his way. Preston hadn't left his chair, but he was looking Johnny's way.
"I need to talk to you guys," he replied, making sure all of his children knew they were included. The playroom was mostly for the kids, some place to go to occupy themselves when either he or Haley had to deal with one thing or another. Spencer kept an eye on his siblings without being told, a doting older brother if only so he could terrorize and torture them properly.
The room was bright and cheery, the walls painted in various colors and filled with both art prints created for kids and art prints created by kids. TJ's latest finger painting was hung up near the table where she had just been sitting not a minute ago. Shelves of books lined one wall. There was a television on another wall where they could watch movies or play video games. There were games, cards, and so many other things for them to do, all of it scattered around the room in zones. There was also a spot that had adult-sized chairs. It was to one of these that Johnny went.
Even as he settled in the seat, the others were joining him. TJ squirmed until Johnny set her in his lap. Aden and Preston sat on the floor near his feet. Cassie took a seat in another of the chairs. Spencer remained standing, just a little behind the two younger boys. He was regarding his father with a serious face. Johnny didn't like seeing that look on a kid his age.
"I want to talk to you guys about your mom," he began. It was much harder than he'd expected it to be for him to say that simple sentence. Thoughts of what Sinister could be doing to Haley at that very moment wouldn't stop playing out in his head.
"Where is Mommy?" Preston asked, his voice all sweet innocence and confusion. Preston was a momma's boy and he was almost always in the same vicinity as Haley when she was home. Johnny could already see the promise of tears in the boy's green eyes.
"You know how Mommy is an X-Man, right?" Johnny asked, focusing his attention on the boy. The question was for all of them, but especially for Preston. That blonde head nodded while his siblings all made some kind of affirmative sound. "And you know how she sometimes goes on missions with her team. Right?"
Again, he was answered with various affirmative noises. Johnny really didn't want to have this conversation with his kids. He didn't want to lie to them. That was something he felt strongly about and he never wanted to create a situation where his children couldn't trust anything he said. But he had to tell them something and he just could not tell them the truth. A little white lie couldn't hurt?
Could it?
"Well, Mommy had to go on a mission with her team yesterday. And things didn't go the way she planned for them to go. So she had to stay for a while in order to finish the mission up. She called me last night after you all went to bed to let me know that she isn't sure when she'll be home. She wanted me to tell you she loves you all very much. And she wants you to behave."
The last was for Spencer and Cassie's benefit. They were the two who made all the trouble. He was starting to see what Sue had dealt with while he'd been growing up and he knew he owed her an apology. He wasn't going to give it to her because he didn't want to hear her gloat about it all. But he definitely owed her an apology.
"Why didn't Mom call us?" Cassie demanded. Haley always made a point of calling to speak with her kids if she was away on a mission overnight. She wanted them to go to sleep with her voice ringing in their heads, telling them that she loved them and she'd be home soon.
"Because she didn't get to her hotel until well after your bedtime. And she didn't want me to wake you up. She said she'll call again when she can, but she doesn't know when it'll be. There's a lot going on where she's at." Johnny thought that sounded reasonable.
"When's Mom going to be home?" Aden asked.
"I don't know, kiddo. She doesn't, either," Johnny answered. At least that was mostly the truth.
"Why did Mommy have to go?" Preston was on the verge of tears. Johnny could see them at the corners of his eyes. His heart panged at that. He'd been so caught up in his own feelings that he'd forgotten how his children would react. He offered a faint smile to the boy.
"Its Mommy's job to go out and save the world. Just like its mine. You know that's who Mommy is. She'll be back soon, Preston. And when she comes home, she's going to squeeze you until you can't breathe. Just like she does every time she goes away to do her job."
"You promise, Daddy?" That came from Cassie, who wasn't usually a clinger. But there was a touch of fear in her voice. Maybe he hadn't done as well with hiding his feelings from them as he thought he had. Johnny drummed up a smile and hoped it looked real. Convincing.
"Of course. Mommy will be back. You'll see," he told them.
TJ chose that moment to put her head on his shoulder. He heard the yawn she gave and a glance at the clock on the wall told him it was nap time. Johnny stood and headed for the door. Already, TJ was drifting off. He left the kids to their games and toys and carried his youngest to her room. It took but a moment to settle her into her bed and tug the covers up over her. He made sure to press two kisses to her forehead, one from him and one from Haley, before he left her to sleep. When he stepped out into the hallway, Spencer was waiting for him.
"What you said back there. That was a bunch of bullcrap, Dad," Spencer said. There was a frown on his face and he had his arms crossed over his chest. Jesus Christ, he looked so much like Haley. From the look in his eyes to the way he held himself, it was blatantly obvious that he was as much Haley's child as his. Johnny felt the smallest crack in the armor he'd built to keep his emotions in check. "Tell me what's really going on."
Well, shit.
This wasn't a conversation Johnny wanted to have with his oldest child. Hell, it wasn't a conversation he wanted to have with most adults he knew. Not after learning what Sinister was capable of. But he owed it to Spencer to be honest. If he was old enough to catch the lie, he was old enough to hear the truth. It just had to be a truth a ten year old could grasp. He could do that. Couldn't he?
"What I said in the playroom, Spencer... Its mostly the truth. Your mom did go on a mission. But something happened. She went missing, along with members of her team. Aunt Roxxy is the only one who didn't go missing," he told the boy. "We don't know where your mom is. We don't know when she'll be back. But she is going to come back. And there are people out there looking for her. We'll get Mom back."
Spencer stared at him, his gaze suspicious. But also hopeful. He would never admit it, but he missed his mom as much as the others did. Finally, he gave a faint nod of his head. "Okay. Let me guess. You don't want me to tell the others anything about this."
"I don't. I need you to keep this a secret for a little while. Can you do that for me?" Johnny asked him. Spencer considered the request for a little while before nodding again.
"I can do that, Dad."
"That's my boy," Johnny said. "Do me a favor and go keep an eye on your siblings. I need to go call Uncle Henry and check on Aunt Roxxy."
"Okay." Spencer turned and headed back toward the playroom. Johnny watched him go. He needed whoever was searching for Haley and her team to find them and bring them home. Now. He needed Haley in his arms. Where she belonged.
"Come home to me, babe. Please." Johnny whispered the words into the aether before he turned and headed for the nearest phone.
~*~
The sound of the water cutting on let Jehnna know she would have a short time to herself. As much as she could be by herself when confined to one room with someone else. Her gaze slid toward the bathroom door and considered her partner.
Sam Guthrie was the sweetest guy she'd ever met. He was polite and gentle. He was a gentleman. He was smart and capable and he treated her with the utmost respect. He was... Oddly perfect. Which made her feel terrible. Because those were the kind of thoughts she should be having about Warren. Weren't they?
Guilt flooded her then, as it usually did when she compared Sam to Warren. She brought Warren's face to mind, as she'd done every day since she'd woken up in this hell. Two weeks of seeing him in her mind's eye. Two weeks of noting that, every day, his memory seemed to be a little fuzzy. Faded. As if she was forgetting him. And that scared her. How could she be forgetting her husband after such a short amount of time? How could her thoughts spend so much more time on Sam than on the man she'd declared she'd spend her life with. In sickness and in health and in everything in between.
Warren was kind. She reminded herself of that fact, of the way he'd been at her training sessions with Scott back in the beginning. Warren was polite. He'd never forced her to do anything she hadn't wanted to do. Warren was gentle. He'd never raised a hand to her in anger. He'd never done anything to her that could be considered abusive or even mean. He was always respectful and kind. There were a lot of similarities between him and Sam. Which was confusing. She was supposed to like them in Warren. She wasn't supposed to look at someone else and see those same traits in them. Was she?
The faint, off-key sound of Sam's voice floated out of the bathroom despite the door being shut. He was singing some popular song as he showered, his voice rough and masculine. The sound of it sent a thrill through Jehnna's body. She cursed that feeling and went digging for more of Warren to counter it. The first thing that came to the surface was how handsome he'd looked in his tux when they'd gotten married. And the soft look of surprise on his face when Jehnna had flowed up the aisle toward him in her wedding dress. That same look of surprise had been on his face with the birth Alexia,
She loved Warren. She told herself that firmly. She loved everything about him. He was so very handsome with beautiful blue eyes and soft blonde hair. His hair was almost softer than his wings, and his wings were the softest things she'd ever touched. Warren was kind, often times bringing her cute little things from his trips. Or he'd bring toys for the kids. Smart and funny. Gentle and polite. He was hers. Her first real love. Her first real everything. She loved him. He loved her. And he was looking for her. He had to be. He would find her and take her away from this... whatever it was Sinister was doing.
And he'd take her away from Sam.
That thought brought to life a whole slew of weird feelings. They fluttered and bubbled in her belly, leaving her with an almost queasy feeling. For some reason, she didn't like the idea of leaving Sam. And that wasn't something she could figure out. She really didn't know him that well. Oh, they talked. She'd told him about her kids. He'd told her about his siblings. They talked about the things they liked doing when they weren't out saving the world. But she didn't think those polite exchanges should be considered grounds for feeling... whatever it was she was feeling.
Jehnna frowned. She wasn't sure that two weeks was long enough to develop deep feelings for anyone. Sure, they were confined to the same room together. And they shared the same bed. They even went to some kind of exercise room together. There was also Sinister's lab and what they did together there.
That thought saw Jehnna's cheeks flushing with heat and color. They spent time in that clear cube every day. And every day, Sam laid her down on that bed and he paid homage to every inch of her flesh. His whispered words were reverent. His hands and his mouth practically worshipped her flesh. And when he finally slipped between her thighs and then slid into her... Just thinking about it made her thighs clench together.
She had to stop this. Whatever this was. She couldn't keep letting Sam treat her like some kind of precious prize. This would all come to an end eventually. It had to. And when she went home, she'd go back to Warren. God, how did she explain this to him? How did she make him understand that she hadn't wanted to have sex with someone other than him? He was going to hate her. He was going to ask for a divorce and he was going to take their kids and she'd have nothing.
Tears and panic threatened to overwhelm her. Sam's voice sounded in her head, a soft and gentle thing. It reminded her that Warren would understand. It told her that he would never hold what happened here against her. And it said very plainly that Warren would always love her. No matter what.
Sam's voice and his words helped push back the panic. Some of the worry she felt lifted away. Not all of it. There was always a touch of worry lingering somewhere in the back of her brain. But those words, said in his voice, made things seem less daunting. She wasn't going to examine too closely why the voice in her head, the one she heard talking her out of a panic, was Sam's and not Warren's.
The sound of running water died away. Jehnna knew what was going to happen, so she lifted the book she'd taken from the shelf and opened it. Put her nose in it and tried to focus on the words. But her eyes slid away from the page the moment the bathroom door opened. Sam stepped out into the main room in a pair of shorts and a tank top. His hair was in wild disarray from being towel dried. Beads of water dripped from the ends and clung to his shoulders. Or raced down his arms. She felt a tiny thrill of something slide through her.
He was so easy on the eyes. She liked that he was comfortable in his skin. That he was confident in himself. That comfort and confidence showed in the way he moved. He was all easy, natural grace. She especially liked the way his skin felt against hers. How firm his muscles were when she ran her hands over them. She liked the way he kissed her. And she liked the way he tasted.
She frowned. She told herself, for what had to be the hundredth time that day, that she wasn't allowed to like the way Sam felt and tasted and looked. She was married to Warren. When this was all over, she'd go home to Warren. she'd pick the frayed threads of her life up and tie them back together. She'd go back to being Warren's wife and the mother of his children and...
That thought stopped her in her tracks. For a moment, she wondered if that was all she was. Warren's wife. The mother of his children. No. That wasn't all she was. She was an X-Man and Warren was proud of her for that. He was a good husband and a good father. He treated her as an equal. He helped take care of their children. He...
"Jehnna?" Sam's voice filled her head and left no room for thoughts. She could hear a touch of concern in her name, so she looked up at him. "Is something the matter? You looked a little lost there for a minute?"
His concern made her smile. She shook her head and found a smile for him. "There's nothing the matter. I was just thinking about some things."
"You must have been thinking pretty hard. You didn't hear me call your name the first couple of times." The concerned look left his face and was replaced with a small, soft smile. Jehnna felt her heart speed up in her chest while heat flooded her from her head to her toes. She tried to push it away, but having him look at her the way he was only served to make her feel warmer. She was certain she could stare into his eyes forever.
"I'm sorry," she told him.
"There's nothing to be sorry for, Jehnna. I'm just checking to make sure you're okay." Sam's smile grew just a little bit. Enough to make her hungry for one of the really fantastic smiles he'd given her a time or two already. Then his hand was on her shoulder, the warmth of his palm soaking through the scant amount of clothing she wore to work its way deep into her body. And her body, confused thing that it was, sent heat flooding all through her until she felt like she was on fire. With want and need. For Sam.
It was so confusing to be in love with one man but attracted to another. She knew changing partners was some kind of unwritten rule at the institute. She could well remember how Morgan was going out with a different guy all the time. She went through the male population of the school, students and teachers alike, like they were Kleenex. And she seemed to recall that Dare kind of did the same thing, though it was on a much smaller scale.
How did they do that? How did they float from one man to the next without being consumed by runaway feelings and foreign needs? Jehnna could honestly believe that Morgan would handle things so much better if she was in the same situation. Why couldn't she be more like Morgan? Why did her heart have to get involved? Why did she have to like Sam so much?
~*~
He eyed the bathroom's closed door with a faint sense of self-loathing. Haley was in the tub. Again. She used the tub every time they came back from one of their visits to Sinister's lab. He had to admit that he tended to be pretty rough with her anytime they were inside that damned cube. Scott was fairly certain that Sinister was hitting them with extra doses of the pheromones or whatever it was he was using. And that was on top of what he pumped into their room. It made him think the creepy old freak really enjoyed watching him practically savage Haley.
Every time they'd come back from the cube, Scott had needed to carry Haley because he'd used her so hard. He was honestly surprised that she could still look him in the eye.
He'd tried to apologize for his behavior. Once or twice. But Haley had assured him more than once that she was fine and there was nothing for him to worry over. He had a hard time believing that. It didn't matter that she screamed his name every time he brought her to climax. It didn't matter that there were scratch marks on his arms and back in various states of healing. That there were bite marks on his neck that made it look like he'd been attacked by a vampire. He honestly figured it was because of the pheromones. That she enjoyed his attention because she was more or less being drugged into horniness. The pleasure she took from his sexual proclivities was, he felt, a result of the chemicals messing with her brain.
A part of him felt as if he should try to tone things down. Spend less time pounding into her like he was hammering in a two by four and more time bringing forth sensations and feelings that weren't as damaging and harmful to her physical and emotional well being. It was hard, though. Because it had been so long since he'd been able to let this part of himself step out of the shadows.
There was something... freeing in the way she accepted that part of him that he'd been so careful about keeping hidden. And it boggled his mind that Haley didn't seem to be bothered by his more aggressive side. In fact, she almost seemed to relish it. That relish, that... desire, was the most potent kind of aphrodisiac he'd ever encountered. He really, really did not want to give that up. Because he knew, once they returned home, he'd have to put that part of himself away again.
Home. That meant Jean. That meant trying to explain all that had gone on here. Which wouldn't be as easy as it sounded. Sure. Weird shit happened with the X-Men all the time. Explaining that Sinister had captured them and used very effective pheromones to get them hornier than anything would explain the situation to most people. But it was a harder sell when one's significant other was a telepath and could read in his mind all the things that didn't get said aloud. Jean would not understand.
Guilt rose up in an attempt to swallow him down. He knew, logically, that he didn't have anything to feel guilty about. This entire situation was beyond his control. But he was cognizant of his own shortcomings, most of which centered around just how fucking turned on Haley screaming his name during climax was. And yes, if he was being honest with himself, Haley was very easy on the eyes. Tall and statuesque were only two of the descriptors he could apply to her. There were so many others.
Smart. Capable. Strong. Loyal. Bewitching. Beautiful.
Again, he was assaulted by the image of her gone to stone, taking the bar of weights from his hands as if it had weighed nothing. Again, the sight of her righteous fury and indignation saw his cock twitching eagerly. She'd been breathtaking in that moment. Beautiful in her anger. Unto a goddess with her flaming hair and pale skin. Scott had to admit that it appeared he had a thing for redheads. At the time, though, he'd been startled and angry with being disturbed and called out. He could say now, looking back, that he'd been acting as much of an asshole as her team had accused him of being. And there really wasn't any excuse for his behavior at the time. Other than he'd seen what being at the school had done to Harper. What losing Harper and done to Haley. He hadn't thought she'd understood what it would mean to lead a team and possibly lose one of them. He'd wanted to spare her that kind of pain.
At least, that's what he'd told himself. Was that the truth, though? Had he had other reasons for trying to sabotage Jehnna's training? He liked to think that wasn't what he'd been doing. He'd seen a young girl, with no concept of control, with a power that could prove destructive and dangerous if not harnessed properly. Maybe he'd been harder on her than he'd meant to be. But Jehnna wouldn't have lasted long on a team without the discipline required to work as part of a team. And he hadn't wanted to see what losing a friend would do to Haley.
That was a worry, a fear, that constantly lived inside of him. That he would lose friends. That he'd lose those he loved. Being an X-Men was like putting a target on one's back. All manner of people would come gunning for you simply because you were different. Humans and mutants. There would always be bigots and cowards that tried to blame the mutant community for all of their woes. And the X-Men were high visibility. The moment Haley and her friends had gone on that first mission, unauthorized, they'd set themselves up for all kinds of hatred and danger.
It was bad enough that he had to live with the fear that something would happen to Jean. That he'd have to spend his life without her at his side. But now, there was a voice at the back of his head that told him he would have that same fear living in his head where Haley was concerned. No matter what came of their captivity, he was certain Haley would hold a place in his heart. And if that didn't fucking make things so much more complicated than they were supposed to be...
"Fuck," he breathed. Because he was starting to understand something else. This captivity was going to totally fuck with everything. And there was no way to ignore that. He could already see the signs that things were changing. He and Haley shared the bed and it was always... pleasant when he woke with her curled up against him. He liked having her head resting on his chest. Her arm thrown over his stomach. Her leg across his thighs. He liked the feel of her skin against his. The smell of her hair. The sound of her voice and the way she hummed under her breath, an almost absent action that suggested she didn't realize she was doing it. It was cute and it warmed his heart and he really liked it.
His brain stopped for a moment as it turned over everything he'd just thought. "Double fuck," he muttered. Because, the way his brain was going on about Haley, there was only one conclusion he could come to. He was starting to...
That thought cut off before he could fully finish it as the bathroom door opened and a cloud of steam escaped before the object of his thoughts stepped out of the small room. She was in a tank top and a pair of shorts. The tank was a soft, baby blue that looked good against her paleness. The shorts were black. Her hair was wet and hung around her shoulders in a tumbled mess that suggested she'd used the towel to rub as much moisture from it as she could. And she was staring right at him with an intense look that saw more blood rushing to his cock. "Triple fuck."
"Did you say something, Scott?" Haley asked.
"Nothing," he replied. "I was just thinking. And I think we need to talk."
"You're right. We do. We need to talk about things between us," she agreed. She ventured closer to him, her movements fluid but slow. As if she wasn't sure she was welcome. Or maybe she was holding herself back. He knew what the pheromones did to his body. He had no clue what they were doing to hers.
Haley joined him on the love seat, careful to settle herself as far from him as she was able. He would have laughed, but it wasn't funny. Because he didn't know if she was staying away because she really couldn't stand him or because she was afraid she'd jump his bones if she got too close.
The two of them stared at one another. There was the faint hint of a blush on Haley's cheeks, and he had to wonder if it was a result of the bath she'd just taken or if it was more to do with her proximity to him and whatever she felt they needed to discuss. Whatever the reason, he kind of liked how she looked with that blush staining her cheeks.
"What's on your mind?" he asked her. Mostly as a way to drag his thoughts away from throwing her down on the love seat and fucking her senseless. Again. Something he'd just done not more than half an hour ago.
Haley stared at him a moment, her eyes drifting over his chest with a heavy dose of need that suggested she didn't really register doing it. When her gaze returned to his face, she offered him a small smile and heaved a sigh. "So, since it looks like we're going to be stuck here for a while and whatever Sinister is pumping into the air is going to continue to play with our senses, I was thinking that maybe we should talk about what we need from one another."
Scott was only slightly surprised. It was such an intuitive statement that he had no doubt Haley had been thinking about this for some time now. "You know I've been married to Johnny for a long time. now. And you and Jean have been together for what seems like forever."
"Thanks, Stone. Is that your way of saying I'm old?" he said. There was just the right amount of teasing in his voice because she offered him another smile, this one wider than before.
"You're far from old, Summers. And you know it." There was laughter in her voice. She shook her head at him. "Quit fishing for compliments. You're in the prime of your life."
Scott inclined his head to acknowledge her statement. It wasn't exactly a statement about being attracted to his looks, but it was nice of her to say it. Besides, he could still clearly recall the lust in her gaze when she'd gotten a look at him their first day here together. He was pretty sure that it hadn't just been the pheromones doing their job.
"All I mean to say is that, because of those relationships and how established they are, we're both used to a certain level of intimacy and we even expect it. But we're not with our partners now. Despite that, our needs aren't going to change. So I thought we should talk about what kind of intimacy we need in our daily lives. Beyond the sex because... " she trailed off, as if not sure of her words. He liked that uncertainty. It was kind of hot.
"The sex is an intimacy, but not always the required kind of intimacy," he supplied. She nodded, a relieved smile breaking across her face. It was a beautiful smile and he liked it. A lot.
"Exactly," she responded. Then she stopped and drew a breath. Sighed as she released it. It almost seemed as if she was faltering because he could see she wanted to say something, but the words didn't come quite so quickly or easily as she maybe wanted them to. Frowning, she took a breath and then blew it out in a huff of air. "Sorry. I'm not exactly good at this whole... articulating my needs thing."
"I understand. Take your time," he encouraged. He watched as Haley shifted her position. And he realized she'd moved closer, if only by an inch or so. And then he realized he'd done the same thing without really taking note of it. He'd shifted to face her and had ended up moving closer to where she sat. Something inside of him liked that they were closing the gap both physically and emotionally. He thought it was significant, but he put that aside for the moment.
"So, look. I know we're both stuck in this... whatever. And I know we can't avoid the sex. Sinister has seen to that," she said. He watched as her gaze flicked lower. At the same time, his gaze made note of the way her nipples pressed against the material of the sports bra she wore. When her eyes returned to his, he could see the heat in them that never really went away. And when she licked her lips... His cock jumped in his shorts. "And don't get me wrong, the sex is amazing."
Her words saw his attention shifting to the bruise that marred the pale perfection of her shoulder. She saw the direction of his stare and followed it, glancing at the bruise herself. Then she offered him a smile that seemed incongruous with the darkness of that mark. "Stop worrying over that mark, Scott. It isn't the worst I've had. And I doubt it'll be the last. I just keep the bruises hidden under the uniform."
He considered that confession a moment. Interesting, because Haley had always seemed so... He didn't really know. Uptight was the wrong word. He'd apply that one to Jean before Haley. Straight-laced wasn't really the right word, either. He didn't know what word he'd use, but she'd just never struck him as being into that kind of thing so much. "I see. I never would have guessed."
"Most people wouldn't," she told him. She sighed again. Shifted again. She was only mere inches from him. his hands itched with the desire to hold her. To feel the softness of her skin under them. "But that isn't what I wanted to talk about. I was thinking while I was in the tub. And I need you to know that I need more than just the sex."
Scott stared at her, a touch of confusion in his expression. Haley glanced away a minute, as if she were suddenly uncomfortable. "What do you mean, Haley?"
"I need... aftercare," she told him. Her eyes swung back to meet his and he could see the need there in them. "I like it when you carry me. I like being close. But I need more than that. I... I need you to hold me. Cuddle with me. I need you to make sure that I'm okay and to just let me know that I matter. Even if its just pretend."
He considered her words, the whole time watching her as she resolutely stared him down. She looked slightly uncomfortable, leading him to believe she was serious about not being good at articulating her needs. There was something about holding someone he cared about in his arms. And having them hold him back. Hadn't he just been thinking about that before she'd exited the bathroom?
"Look, I know we've only been here two weeks, but... I've gotten used to waking up in your arms. I actually kind of like it," she said. Then her eyes drifted away and he realized she was nervous. Confused. Scared.
"I like it, too," he told her. That brought her gaze back to his face, her eyes wide with shock as she considered the validity of his words. A moment later, her smile returned, much wider and more welcoming than before. "In fact, this is exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. We're in this for a while and it would make our lives so much easier if we talked about what we need from one another. What we expect from one another."
"You're right. It would," she nodded. They stared at one another for a while, both of them silent. Then Haley offered him a smile. "So. Does this mean we can cuddle? You know. After sex."
Scott considered answering her with words. But the desire to hold her in his arms was too strong. So he reached out and slid an arm around her shoulders. Drew her across the last inch or so of space between them so that he could tug her up against his side. She was stiff in his hold for a moment or two. Then she relaxed and slid an arm across his chest. Her head came to rest on his shoulder, their bodies lined up against one another.
Silence settled around them, comfortable and welcome. He relaxed into the feeling of her body next to his. Haley shifted slightly and it felt, for just a second, like her lips had brushed very lightly against the skin covering his upper chest. That idea was blown away when she let go a breath that gusted across his chest and his thoughts shifted in another direction entirely.
