"I'll miss havin' ya around," Logan said as they made their way out of the mansion.

 

"I'll miss you too Logan, Thank You too for looking after me," Jain said with more sincerity behind it than with the Professor.

 

"It's only natural," he huffed, and the girls felt his awkwardness at being thanked.

 

"You ever went to a Steve Rogers museum Mr Logan?" Emilia asked, confusing the two.

 

"Can't say I have seemed like all pretentious bullshit to me," Logan admitted.

 

"You might want to visit it once, you know there was a member of the Howling Commando looking just like you," Emilia mentioned offhandedly, though she guessed it looked as subtle as a brick to Jean if her increasing amusement was anything to go by. The redhead realized she was playing at something.

 

"Is that so,-- eh, --might as well," the man shrugged, much less observant than Jean but he still realized it might have something to do with his missing past, "d'you 'ave a ride?"

 

"I'll call a taxi if it's alright?" Emilia offered.

 

"Thanks, Emi," Jean smiled at her gratefully.

 

"It's fine, just tell 'em to stop at the gates," Logan motioned to the large metal gates in the distance.

 

"Sure," Emilia nodded, not wanting to be an annoying guest.

 

"Be careful out there," the centuries-old mutant said, "many want nothin' more than rip ya apart and study your corpses to find out what makes ya tick."

 

"I know," Emilia said quietly.

 

The man just glanced at her, certain she didn't. Emilia's forlorn expression probably made him reconsider but he just shook his head.

 

"There are no victors in life, only survivors, remember that," he advised.

 

Both girls nodded. That was the last thing the old Canadian said besides saying goodbye to the girls as the Gates closed behind them.

 

"How do you feel?" Emilia asked her girlfriend, interlocking their fingers now that they were alone. It wasn't like she didn't want to show their relationship in public but she didn't want to overcomplicate the visit. That obnoxious knockoff Superman would have probably made a giant fuss too.

 

"Good, relieved I guess," Jean said, smiling as she squeezed her hand, "thanks for coming with me, I know it made you uncomfortable."

 

"It was nothing," she averted her eyes, yeah she came along but she barely spoke more than a few sentences through it all.

 

"Well it wasn't 'nothing' to me, look at me," she said, Emilia did so, connecting her gaze with Jean's, "It meant a lot to me."

 

The heartfelt moment was once again interrupted, to Emilia's irritation now even before they had kissed.

 

It didn't come in the form of bullets or tranquillizers but in an intense wave of anger and indignation originating from the mansion.

 

Even if the two weren't physically interrupted, due to their empathy, this soured their mood nonetheless.

 

"What's up with that ass anyway?" Emilia didn't even try to hide her frustration as she glared at a second-floor window. Her eyes only made out the shining crimson light over the wast distance, but she could make a wild guess at who it belonged to.

 

"My insufferable Ex," the redhead wore a similar expression, if less murderous than Emilia's.

 

Emilia recalled the girl had something to feel guilty about regarding him, she still didn't know what it was but she inquired about it.

 

She used their Link, not quite sure how to word the question. It was such a great thing, no misunderstandings, no miscommunication, through the Link they could communicate better and more than through words. Neither of them wanted to use it exclusively, talking still felt more natural.

 

A bit of guilt and anxiety once again emerged in Jean's aura but along with resolve now.

 

"Well, he kind of didn't want to accept it when I broke up with him," she swallowed, "so when you asked me about going on a date I decided it would be a great opportunity to show him I was serious about ditching him."

 

Emilia stared at the ashamed-looking redhead, waiting for a continuation of the story, "And?" she asked when the girl failed to continue.

 

"I used you, I don't think I even took our second date seriously at the start, plus he is going to be such a pain in the ass for you," Jean ranted at Emilia, staring into her eyes guiltily.

 

Emilia considered that, yeah it hurt that Jean wasn't as serious about their date as she was. Cyclops could also develop into a giant pain later on. And yet she couldn't find it in herself to be angry at Jean, all of this drama didn't matter in the slightest when she felt Jean's emotions through their link.

 

She knew the girl was as serious about their relationship as she was now, she also felt her irritation at Scott that have built up over months or even years. She was ready to leave the mansion just because of him even in her previous apathetic state.

 

Emilia glanced sideways at the mansion, crimson light still glared at them through the same window.

 

Emilia smirked as she stood on her toes and threw her arms around Jean's neck and kissed her.

 

She was clumsy, this was her second ever kiss, however embarrassing that was as a 21-year-old grown woman.

 

She tried to show Jean that she didn't care, that only their feelings and shared future mattered to her.

 

It didn't take long for the ginger beauty to snap out of her daze at being kissed like this. Emilia felt Jean's arms lock behind her back, pulling her closer.

 

Their amateurish kiss ended soon enough though their arms stayed as they were.

 

"What was that for?" asked Jean, her glowing emerald green eyes staring into Emilia's own.

 

"Do I need a reason to kiss my girlfriend?" Emilia smirked playfully.

 

"You certainly don't do it as much as you wish," a coquettish smile gracing her lips.

 

"Well now I used you too so we are even," Emilia glanced at the window, now showing the whole room glowing an intense crimson behind it, "and I showed him that he can't have you."

 

"So hot yet so cute," Jean whispered, leaning close to Emilia's ears, "you are making me fall for you."

 

"That was the intention," Emilia murmured sheepishly, her miraculous bravado all used up.

 

"And now you are acting so cute again," Jean whispered again, tightening her hold on Emilia in a hug before letting go.

 

"Our ride is here Casanova," Jean said as she opened the door of the taxi Emilia didn't even notice stopping beside them, "after you."

 

"Hi," Emilia greeted the driver once she shook off her embarrassment and got in the car.

 

"Hello there Miss," an older gentleman answered, not even looking like he was waiting for them to finish kissing, "where can I take you on this fine day?"

 

Emilia glanced at Jean as she also plopped down in the back seat next to her. They didn't have much stuff, most of it was already on their person but their clothes were left in the hotel.

 

"Starlight Hotel please and after a quick stop at the airport," Emilia said, strapping her seatbelt.

 

"Alright ladies," he affirmed before raising the divider.

 

Emilia was grateful she called one of the high-end taxi services, the chauffeur was a professional.

 

"I know you were wondering why I would ever date him right?" Jean asked, throwing a knowing glance at the raven-haired girl.

 

"Yeah," Emilia admitted sheepishly.

 

"When I joined this 'school' after barely escaping getting locked up in a lab I was ostracised here, even mutants thought it was weird that I knew what they were thinking and feeling," Jean stared out the window, "only Scott and another socially awkward girl called Kitty talked to me, I was lonely and alone in this big mansion.

 

"Then came puberty," she cringed at that, "and there was this one boy called Scott that talked to me and seemed to care about me, so we got together."

 

Emilia could understand that when she was a teen she would have probably gone on a date with a goblin if it asked her out, that's how desperate she was for attention and romance.

 

"So he wasn't always like--that?" she asked, wincing at her question. Was it rude to ask about the ex of one's girlfriend? She didn't know for sure but it sure was awkward. Jean seemed to mostly take it in a stride though.

 

"No, he became like that slowly, he was always controlling though," said Jean, "I realized he didn't want me to be his wife, he only wanted to have me as a wife."

 

Emilia grimaced at that, she learned already that Jean despised it when she felt like she was being controlled or manipulated. Summers trying to mould her into a good trophy wife for himself would certainly have that consequence.

 

"Let's talk about something else, what should be our first destination?" Emilia asked, having had enough of the discussion. Even if she was curious talking about who Jean had slept with weirded her out.

 

"Oh either London or Paris, we could travel around from there afterwards, what do you think?" Jean also appeared delighted at the change of topic.

 

"I think London would be better, we could travel south and east over Europe from there," Emilia said as she linked her hand with Jean's, already missing the bodily contact between them.

 

"Sounds good to me," Jean said happily. 

 

Her excitement was contagious, Emilia also felt herself grow eager to get on a plane already.