Timelined after Rustler Ruffler.
Jamie: Jamie smoothed his hands down the wheel and gave a relieved sigh. She was fine. Swords were gone and she was fine. He looked over at Jean and grinned. "No more trench coat, babe."
Jean: "Not that I'm looking a gift horse in the mouth because I'm totally absolutely not, but I still wanna work toward no jacket at all, you know?"
Jamie: "Yeah, I miss being naked with you, too." He waggled his eyebrows at her and wrapped an arm over her shoulders to pull her in for a hard kiss.
Jean: Jean melted into the kiss and then into Jamie's side. "We have to figure out that bracelet thing," she whined.
Jamie: "We will. Especially now that I have my jacket back. I can deconstruct my trench coat and play around with the inhibitor to try and mimic it on a smaller scale. Maybe I'll even let Pietro help." Jamie nipped playfully at her lower lip that was almost in a pout. "I'm in good spirits, babe! You should be, too!"
Jean: "I am! I'm a happy camper!" She put on a grin and kissed him again before snuggling into his side. "I just miss naked time, for sure."
Jamie: Jamie sighed and kissed her head. "Meeeee, toooo." Then he grinned again and moved his arm so he could take the keys out of the ignition. "But for now, how about you tell me what you meant about Breathless liking Rogue?"
Jean: "'Kay, so yesterday? When you felt me panic a little bit? Rogue was here," she nodded her head at the building they'd just parked in front of - the tenement.
Jamie: "And that made you panic? I'm the one who's terrified of what she would do with my powers. She was your cousin's best friend." Jamie laughed and turned in the seat to fully face her. "She shouldn't panic you."
Jean: "She didn't, but what she said did..." Jean nibbled on her lower lip and faced him a little better. "She's pregnant."
Jamie: "She's..." Oh. Hell this isn't good for anybody, huh? Jamie wrapped his arm around her again and shifted to pull her back against him. "You okay?"
Jean: "Yeah, she didn't want me to be happy for her, but I am... just... you know." She rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart and drawing a deep breath. "It's hard, but I'm okay."
Jamie: "Good. We'll have our own brood one day. Promise." He kissed the top of her head again and frowned. "Ya know who's probably not okay? Bobby."
Jean: Their own kids. The thought made her smile and snuggle into him. "Yeah we will," she said with a nod, wrapping her arms around him. "Oh, he yelled at her lots apparently and now he's not talking to her, so at least we know for sure it's really Tony Stark's."
Jamie: "He did what?! Holy fuck, babe. That's... Wow. Okay, so, apparently I need to make sure he doesn't ever do that again. You don't yell at a pregnant woman, I don't care if she is having a baby with someone else. ...Who is her actual boyfriend... And not her probable future one." That hurt his head and he made a face. "Their lives are confusing."
Jean: "You should have seen the inside of her head. She's so fucking confused I got confused on her behalf." Jean shuddered a little, only partially putting on the drama. "She's wearing an inhibitor because of the baby and I got full force Rogue to the face."
Jamie: Jamie cocked his head at her, confused. "She... punched you?" What does that even mean? At least she was inhibited so it didn't hurt? ...It probably still hurt. "I don't think I can kick a pregnant lady's ass, babe..."
Jean: Jean twisted to look up at him. She blinked. "She didn't punch me." She thought about this. "Well, I thought she might a couple of times, but she didn't. No, I meant she didn't have her shielding. Inhibitor. Brain spilling out all over."
Jamie: "Oh... Yikes. That sounds super unpleasant. And it's also not a fun mental image." He shared it with her. Literal brains leaking out of Rogue's ears, nose, and hair follicles on her scalp. "So her shielding is part of her powers? That's weird. Also, adds to the terrifyingness of ...her."
Jean: "Ew! Ew ew ew!" Jean flailed a little at that mental image and lightly smacked him. "I didn't mean literally! Her emotions and surface thoughts were just... all over the place. Yeah, they have to be, because normally I don't get anything from her."
Jean: She licked her lips and snuggled back into Jamie's arms. "I don't think she's terrifying. I think she's kind of sad."
Jamie: He laughed at the smack and kissed her forehead when she settled again. "Sad, huh? Well, yeah, right now she probably is. But I don't ever want her to touch me. Nuh uh. No way, no how, not even with a twenty-five foot pole."
Jean: "She asked if she could, so there'd be one of her for Tony Stark and one for Bobby Drake." She looked back up at him. "I told her that was a terrible idea."
Jamie: Jamie stilled everything, even stopping his breathing, when Jean said that. "And did she accept that?"
Jean: Whoa. Wha happen?! She prodded him. "Did you blue screen? She's so not going to touch you."
Jamie: He sucked in a breath. "Good. Thanks, babe." Jamie gave her a squeeze and took a slower breath. "Soo... If she's confused, does that mean that Bobby's screwed?"
Jean: Jean let out her own relieved breath. No locked up fiances! "I don't know what it means for Bobby. She's hurt that he was pissy, but she still loves him."
Jamie: "What would you do?" He realized that sounded kind of trappy so he clarified, "Since you felt all of her emotions and her thoughts and stuff. If you were her, what would you do about it?"
Jean: "I told her to forget Bobby and stay with Stark, which was part of why I was wondering if I'd be punched through a wall." She felt him panic a little halfway through his question and gave him a squeeze.
Jamie: "Damn. That's rough for Bobby. You'd really do that to him? ...As her?" This analogy was about to become as confusing as talking about his many selves. Mmm squeeze. Jamie grinned and leaned down to nuzzle her hair.
Jean: "Well, yeah, she's already with President Stark, and now she's having a baby with him. And she loves him. She doesn't know if she loves him or Bobby more because she loves them for different reasons, but I'm totes team Stark."
Jamie: Jamie made a face. "But when you watch her and Bobby together, it kind of seems like, I dunno... Us? I think I'm totally team Drake."
Jean: Jean's mouth dropped open. "We're nothing like them! They're a hot mess! She says she doesn't even think he knows her that well anymore!"
Jamie: "I meant the way they're all gooey for each other!" Jamie squeezed her and tried to fight the surprised panic he felt from her upset. "It's obvious they love each other, just like us."
Jean: "We're gooey?" Her nose wrinkled, but she supposed it sort of fit. "They're all BFFey and talk in code and stuff. So... maybe they are kind of like us..."
Jamie: "I've not seen her with the President much, though. You have, since you work with her and for him. Is it the same for them? If so, Bobby really is fucked."
Jean: "They're really lovey dovey when I've seen them together. Like, her and Bobby aren't that way in front of anybody, but she totally is with the president."
Jamie: That made him laugh, "I'd really hope she wouldn't be that way with Bobby in front of anybody. Or not in front of anybody, even. Since she's still with the man who has the big red button."
Jean: "And it's not like the man with the big red button is a troll or anything. He's rich and hot and fun and she already loves him, so I don't get the big decision."
Jamie: "You don't think Bobby's hot and fun? He's not rich, but he's definitely not poor. Did you see what he bought her for her birthday?" Jamie gave a low whistle.
Jean: "Bobby still feels like my math teacher," she said, wrinkling her nose. "He's attractive, and funny..." She totally hadn't seen what he got her for her birthday, clearly, but the image in Jamie's head was impressive. "He still yelled at her and he's being a dick."
Jamie: Jamie made a face and a displeased noise to match. "I can't argue with ya there, babe. Do you think he knows that tipped the scales away from his favor?" If he didn't know, he was in for a painful awakening. Better stock up on booze and weed before Rogue calls him.
Jean: "I don't know that it really did. She's so confused," she reiterated. "And she like... has this weird complex where she wants to run away."
Jamie: "Beeecaaaauuuseee.... She hates her life? Orrr she wants to escape the press?" Jamie was very, very confused.
Jean: "Because somehow she thinks her presence makes shit go sideways and people are better off without her? She's like... at peace when she's far away from the people she loves." Jean shook her head. "That girl needs therapy more than I did."
Jamie: Jamie kept his mouth shut for a moment, then thought better of it because Jean could just hear it in his head anyway. "Being alone is kind of peaceful, though...?"
Jean: Jean sat up to give him a look. "Says you who is never alone?"
Jamie: "I am, too! I enjoy my own company. That's the same thing. Just because I can talk to myself in a way that most people can't doesn't mean I'm not alone. It's all just me."
Jean: Her eyebrow arched and then she thought it through and frowned. "Is this your way of telling me you want me out of your head?"
Jamie: Jamie startled at that. "No! That's not what I meant! You're always there, but you're never intrusive. And you tend to leave me alone if I'm busy or something." Should the shovel come out now or later? Maybe cooking the shoe leather for the foot might make it tastier?
Jean: "I try to... unless I get panicky and leak. It's harder to block you unless I really try, especially now." Jean was still a little wary of this turn of the conversation, but she was mollified by his surprise.
Jamie: "Babe, you can come in my head any time you want. You know that." He nuzzled her again and bent a bit more to kiss her cheek. "I love you being connected to me."
Jean: "I love aaaall kinds of our connections," she smirked, wriggling to give him a real kiss. "Especially naked."
Jamie: That made him perk up a bit. "Speaking of naked... Why don't we go have some ...mostly... naked time and then I can start dissecting my trench coat?"
Jean: "Maybe I'll leave something on too," she teased, kissing him again.
Jamie: That put all kinds of fun images in his head and he grinned. "The thing that looks best on you, is me." ...That was disgustingly cheesy. But also sexy. "And vice versa."
Jean: "In that case, I'll forgo the sexy lingerie and just use you," she laughed. "Do you come with matching shoes?"
Jamie: "The only shoes that come with me are a men's 11. But I can give you a deal on a new pair of women's that would be just your size and would match my eyes."
Jean: "I'd totally wear those shoes, babe, but you should know I'm totally picturing me sticking my toes in your eyes and I don't think that's sexy."
Jamie: That made him laugh and he ducked down to kiss her neck. "It's only sexy if you think it is, Jeannie. So it isn't."
Jean: Jean giggled. "Well at least we're agreed there," she said, tipping her head to the side to let him explore her skin.
Jamie: "Whatever you want, babe, you get." Except no jacket? Except no jacket. ...YET. "Should we head inside to celebrate my leather jacket's triumphant, albeit weird, return?"
Jean: "Absolutely." Jean picked up his monologue and snickered a little. "Yet. One of these days, because what looks best on me is you, naked." She gave him a kiss and moved to scoot to the door.
Jamie: Jamie shifted, adjusting himself so he could get out of the car without drawing attention, then hurried around to open the door for her so he could scoop her fully against him when she finally got out. But maybe the leg thing first? Good call.
Jean: Ooo, the leg thing, huh? Your wish is my command. Jean swung her bare legs out, looking up at him and turning on the smolder. She fluttered her lashes.
Jamie: He watched her legs with a predatory smirk and did exactly what he had intended when he initially came to get her door. Jamie wrapped one arm around her waist and snapped her to him the second she was standing, locking eyes with her as he shut the door with the other hand. "I do dream of this Jeannie, that's for sure."
Jean: "Yes, master," she giggled, but her voice was a little breathless as she looked up at him and got lost in those eyes. "I still need the pony tail to complete the look," she added, giving her head a bit of a Jeannie bob.
Jamie: "My wish is for you to keep your curls. No ponytail needed." Jamie kissed her soundly then broke it and gave her a quick flash of a grin before throwing her over his shoulder and jogging to the door. "But I have a better wish than that right now," he smirked and smacked the bit of her ass that was peeking out from her short skirt. "No bottle for you tonight."
Jean: Jean squealed when he swept her up, hair swinging, and giggled all the way to the door.