A Night In and Out -1000 word Visual Fiction challenge (X-Men AU, close to comicverse)

This was a quick response to Khaki and Minisinoo's 1st Visual Challenge. The image was of Jean and Scott on the couch, watching TV with popcorn, she looks happy and amused, he looks shocked and appalled. http://www.greymalkinlane.com/min/visualficchallenge.html

A Night In and Out by Tarchannon

 * * *

It was the rarest of nights - Scott and Jean were alone in the boathouse. All of the papers were graded, the experiments were incubating, and the FOH must have been on vacation, because no one seemed to be in need of rescuing. With any luck, they could look forward to a couple of hours of peace and quiet and maybe eight hours on uninterrupted sleep.

"Scott," Jean called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, love," he called back from the living room, not looking up from his copy of Mechanics Illustrated. The smell of popcorn and butter wafted through the room and his stomach rumbled. He rubbed one square-fingered hand over his belly, and hoped she'd share.

"You just about ready?," she asked.

Scott's brow furrowed, and this time he looked up and toward the kitchen door. "Ready for what?"

"The movie! You said that you'd watch a movie with me," she called back with just a hint of annoyance in her voice.

Scott knew he was in trouble. He didn't remember agreeing to the movie, but the tone indicated that there'd be trouble if he complained. He sighed out loud.

/I guess you have to pick your battles,/ he mused, then called back, "Sorry, I forgot. What are we going to watch?"

He was stowing his magazine in the rack when she came through the kitchen door. He glanced up, noticing that she was dressed down like she used to do when they first met. Pale blue denims and a pink top. His heart beat just a little faster, and he couldn't help but smile.

"What?" she asked him knowingly, returning the smile. She crossed the room with a deliberately sexy sway, a big bowl of popcorn in tow, and settled down next to him on the sofa.

He just grinned at her, then leaned in for a soft, passionate kiss.

"Mmmmm," she whispered as she leaned back. "Movie first, tiger."

She handed him the bowl, and laughed as he immediately attacked the contents. Crossing to the TV, she said, "Dark City."

"What?"

"Dark City. The movie we're going to watch. Remy told me it's his favorite movie when he gave it to me this afternoon."

"Remy and Logan got back? I didn't see them at dinner?"

"They got back from St Thomas mid-morning, and drove back from JFK after lunch. He was unpacking in his room when I happened by. I guess he had plans to go out, because he was in a hurry. I'm not sure where Logan went." She pulled the unlabelled tape out of the sleeve and inserted it into the VCR.

"Did he say of they found any trace of Sinister?"

"Didn't say." She quickly glance back to catch him ogling her behind. She smiled to herself, planning for later. She turned back to him with a wicked glean in her eye. It was getting a little warm in the boathouse. She walked back to him stopping in front of him to steal a little kiss before she grabbed the bowl back from him and danced back, teasing.

"Hey!" he objected, a twinkle in his eyes. An instant later, he was up chasing her around the couch. She was shrieking and giggling like a schoolgirl and he was making monster sounds as the circled the tan couch. Popcorn was flying.

"Okay, okay," she huffed, out of breath and glowing, as she plopped back down on the couch. He came toward her, fingers waggling, and he was still making monster noises.

She laughed again and used a pillow to defend herself. "Movie first, " she insisted with a giggle.

/God, it's amazing to have a few hours…/ she thought.

"All right," Scott huffed, plopping down beside her, pretending to be annoyed. The sideways glances were a dead giveaway.

She passed the popcorn back to him, then felt around for the remote. "It should be good. Remy told me even you'd like it. Aliens and big machines and such."

Scott grunted in acknowledgement, and helped himself to another giant handful of popcorn.

Jean found the remote, and pressed the button and the machine whirred to life. As a glorious picture of a setting sun appeared on the screen, Jean grabbed the bowl back from her husband.

"Hey, this doesn't look like the movie. It's supposed to be 'dark', right. This looks like the tropics, " he said.

Jean nodded as they watched sunsets and waterfalls, pretty boys and girls in very little clothing on the beach, and the occasional glimpse of Logan in nothing but shorts.

"Ew," Scott noted aloud, glancing over to see his wife watching intently. He sighed. "I really don't want to watch their trip video. And weren't they supposed to be working?"

"Sssssh!," Jean said, a little annoyed. "I'd like to see what it looks like. Everyone says it's nice, and maybe next time we can go."

Jean. Beach. Bikini. That works. Scott sat quietly for a few more minutes.

Most of the film was obviously taken by M. LeBeau and was beautifully shot. It was no surprise when Logan decided to get cinematagraphic, and a mostly naked Remy LeBeau appeared in the shots. Scott was getting annoyed at their antics, and he glanced over to see his wife still enthralled with the video.

"Hey, would you mind if we watched something else," Scott snapped, annoyed and obviously a little jealous.

Jean turned to him, obviously also annoyed at his attitude. "Yes, I would. I'm enjoying this. I mean, how often to you get to see Logan *play*."

"I'm really not interested in watching Logan and Remy cavorting half-naked on the…."

It was the moaning that stopped him cold.

Simultaneously, the couple slowly turned to back to the video. They both gasped.

Logan and Remy. On the beach. Engaged in acts that are illegal in many countries. Jean pulled her legs up underneath her and grabbed another handful of popcorn. Scott just sat with his mouth agape.

"I… I… I…," Scott droned.

Jean patted his hand, amused at his surprise. Her eyes never left he screen.

"When can we go to St. Thomas?"

END/FIN