Chapter Text
Sean ran his thumb over the lighter wheel, and huffed in frustration. He flipped it over in his hand, and flicked the wheel again. A flame sprung into life, and he held it to the end of the cigarette which hung from the corner of his mouth, his other hand cupping the flame from the breeze coming across from the garden. He blew the flame out, and stowed the lighter in his pocket. He let the smoke fill into his mouth, and blew it out in a single stream, lips pursed, watching the breeze carry it over the petunia bed in front of him. Squinting into the setting sun, he pushed his sunglasses higher up his nose, and hunched his legs up onto the next closest step, so his knees nearly touched his chest.
Someone cleared their throat behind him, and he squinted again as he turned around. Hank was standing about three paces behind him.
“Need I remind you again that that -“, Hank pointed to the cigarette, “is practically lung cancer on a stick”.
Sean merely grinned. “Yeah, yeah, so they keep telling me.”
Hank chuckled and paced over to sit beside Sean. “Could you please blow your smoke over there”. He jerked his head to the right of the pair.
“Hey, hey, I was here first, buddy.” Hank’s brow furrowed, and Sean grinned once more, then ruffled the tuft of blue fur right on top of Hank’s head. “I’m kidding. Heck, anything to have a little company.” He waggled his eyebrows before turning to the right and exhaling a smoke ring.
Hank looked at Sean, bemused, before smiling awkwardly. Sean swiflty turned his head back to face Hank. “So! What’s up, Beast?”
Hank blinked forcibly at being called his mutant code by Sean, who was usually suprisingly formal, calling everyone by their first names. Perhaps it was force of habit, being the only one of the remaining X-Men to really have been integrated into normal society, what with Hank being a child genius, Alex a convict and Charles, a born professor. Hank shook his head lightly, and replied, “Well, not much, actually. I recently completed the schematics for a new chair for the Professor. I think I can get it to hover – much more manouverable that way”. Sean nodded, seemingly impressed. “And now I’ve done that, I’ve got to come up with a new project. Which is what led me outside. I find it’s a good place to come up with ideas, outside. Clear air and all that. Good for thinking.”
Sean snorted. “And then I ruined it with my smoking! Sorry.” He turned and stubbed the cigarette out next to him on the step. Hank blinked once more in surprise. “Can’t have my favourite scientist running out of ideas on me.” Hank felt blood rush to his cheeks, and he looked down at his feet, before remembering that blushing was not recognisable in his new form. Sean turned his head on it’s side, and pushed his glasses up into his hair to look into Hank’s eyes. He then sküchted closer Hank and nudged him playfully.
“I know! Create a new kind of cigarette that won’t kill me!” he grinned with glee.
Hank straight back at Sean. “That’s not so bad. Yeah, if I took out the poisons, and just had the nicotine and something to create a smoke or something to be inhaled . . .” his voice dragged away as he looked deeper into Sean’s eyes, realising just how close they now were. He whispered, “What do you think?”
“Hell yeah” Sean breathed, before he took Hanks’ hand with his own. He smiled coyly, and turned to look out at the now near completed sunrise.
Hank’s mouth fell open, and his eyes darted down to Sean’s hand holding his. He tried to speak, but the only noise he could make was a soft, confused “Guh”. In response, Sean rubbed his thumb over the fur on Hank’s index finger. Hank’s eyes grew wider, and his bit his lip to stop the same noise emitting from his mouth again, but he was too late. Sean slowly turned back to Hank, and placed his other hand on Hank’s forearm. Hnak forced himself to look right at Sean even though he felt like his entire face was in flames from the blushing of his cheeks. Sean smiled again when their eyes met.
“Y’know what I find outside best for? Clear air and all that?” he whispered. Hank shook his head lightly.
“Not thinking”, he said, before leaning in to softly kiss Hank’s lips.