[2009 – October]
Initially, we had planned to do a marathon of some old science fiction series at our place with the whole group after getting a quick bite at Gino's and buying some snacks for later, since Jean and I had plans for to rest of the weekend.
We would finally take to the road and visit her mother's grave, which we had originally planned to do last weekend after attending Cordelia's birthday party.
Naturally, with Celeste's sudden call for help, things had turned up a bit different than planned so we had held off on doing so.
The weather though was surprisingly nice on this Friday afternoon for an autumn day, so we decided to postpone the marathon and enjoy the warm day outside by playing some games or just sunbathing.
Wearing a loose pair of white shorts, a light-grey sports bra, and one of my white shirts, which she had tied up with a knot just below her chest, causing the sports bra to be partly visible, Jean leaped forward with a laugh as she managed to catch and hit the shuttle with the racket in her hand, sending it back into my direction.
Her legs were bare, including her adorable little feet, her pale skin radiating with an untainted charm, her laughter simply intoxicating while her fiery mane whipped around her face and shoulders even while tied up in a ponytail.
I couldn't help but smile back as I saw her like this, while at the same time, I effortlessly reached out and sent the shuttle back in her direction, my own bare feet brushing over the cool verdant grass on the ground.
Next to us, Yukio and Ellie were passing back and forth a volleyball that they brought with them after I had teleported them to Xavier's to get into some other clothes before having brought them back to the Hellion Mansion.
They were waiting for Clarice, John, Allision, and the others to arrive to really play some volleyball on the sports field next to us.
The Hellion Mansion wasn't just a single building that stood separate from the rest of the Academy. In fact, there were several annexes as well as a large sports field and a landscaped area.
The lush greenery around the Hellion Mansion hid most of those buildings though, small cobblestone paths leading to the different areas.
It was a rather nice architectural design as it allowed for the traditional charm of the mansion to shine through without any obvious modern facilities making it seem out of place.
There was also Pietro who was flirting with Angelica, who on her part had arrived earlier than the others and seemed to enjoy the attention of the hyperactive teen.
Rogue and Laura were also present, though since the former couldn't really participate in any games that promised skin contact, she was just sunbathing in some shorts and a top, which looked rather strange considering that she usually tried to cover as much of her skin as possible.
Laura on the other hand had no interest in playing volleyball with the others, so she was making herself comfortable on the large blanket that Jean and I had brought with us, trying to cook herself in the mild sun while wearing a skimpy pair of bikini bottoms and a tiny rather loose top that barely reached below her chest.
Naturally, it was impossible for her to get a tan since her Healing Factor caused her cells to be much more active than normal people.
This meant that the interval between melanin production and cell renewal was so short that before her skin could darken a bit, it would have already been replaced by new skin cells.
It didn't stop her from trying though, her mind free of worries when it came to sunburns.
Jean wasn't too different in this aspect as her immeasurable reserves of psionic energy enhanced her bodily functions to a degree that she was basically immune to normal diseases, small injuries healing with incredible speed.
Not to mention, the Phoenix Force that she had at her beck and call which practically made her immortal.
Sensing Clarice and the others approaching, I just grabbed the small shuttle out of the air with my free left hand, stopping my game with Jean as I moved towards her.
"The others are here.", I explained while she looked at me with warm and curious eyes, a loving light shining in their depths.
Passing the shuttle to my right hand that was already holding onto the racket, the back of my left hand brushed over her smooth cheek as I leaned down and pressed my lips against her soft rosy lips, lingering for a moment as I enjoyed the sense of connection caused by this simple action.
Sharing an intimate emotional and partly psychic bond with me, Jean wasn't surprised by this small act of intimacy.
Leaning into the kiss, her eyelids fluttered close while she likewise savored the sensation of my lips on hers, her free hand pressed against my abdomen as she held onto the loose dark-green tank top that I was wearing.
"I am going to look how Arya's doing and relax a bit in the sun.", I informed her quietly after breaking our kiss.
"Mh-hmm.", Jean hummed in understanding as she looked up at me with soft glowing eyes, an adorable little smile blooming on her rosy lips, making her look even more gorgeous.
Unable to hold myself back, I lowered my head and placed a quick kiss on the side of her neck, nibbling a bit on her sensitive skin and catching her off guard as she cried out in surprise.
I quickly pulled back with a quiet mischievous smile, the smell of flowers and fiery warmth lingering in my nose.
A hint of red appeared on her cheeks, her fingers brushing over he neck while she looked at me with a bit of a pout, her lips parting.
"Cheeky.", she accused while I gently took the badminton racket from her hands, my smile widening a bit.
"It's not my fault that you are so cute, you are forcing my hand here, Firefly.", I defended myself before adding as I saw Clarice and co. arrive, Yukio and Ellie already walking up to them, "Have fun playing with the others."
Smiling at my reply, even though she tried to suppress it, Jean responded with a light laugh, shaking her head: "You and your silver tongue. You may not look alike a lot but Emma is without a doubt your sister."
Tiptoeing, Jean's hand reached up to caress my cheek and brush back a strand of my dark hair as she placed a quick kiss on my lips.
"I love you.", she whispered against my lips before turning around and running up to greet the others who had just arrived, leaving me behind as I followed her figure with my eyes, boundless desire lurking in their depths.