Chapter 023 – Amongst the Stars

[2009 – June]

Turning towards Elijah, Jean asked hopefully, not yet willing to part with him: "Want to come and have a look at my room?"

"Sure, lead the way.", he replied easily enough.

Using her telepathic powers, Jean scanned the corridor for others, happy that the bell hadn't yet rung. She found no other presence, so she grabbed Elijah by the hand and they hurriedly crossed the corridor to her own room. Closing Elijah's door with her telekinetic powers, she opened hers the same way.

Dragging him into the small room, which was basically just a bedroom and bathroom, completely different compared to his place, Jean pointed at the bed as she addressed him.

"You can just get comfortable while I change."

"Mhm. But don't change the shirt, it suits you and I like that you wear something from me.", Elijah said, surprising her not the first time with his honesty.

In the short time Jean had spent with him, she had already realised that Elijah didn't try and hide what he thought, much less lie.

He told her what he thought, which was a refreshing change of pace, instead of her having to pick the truth from another person's mind. Not that this was possible with Elijah, something she grew more and more fond of.

Giving him a smile, Jean accused jokingly: "Possessive much?"

"I am. Though thanks to the mark you left on my neck, I don't have to ask if you are.", Elijah said bluntly, causing her gaze to flicker to the clearly visible dark mark on his neck left behind by her lips.

Heat rose to her cheeks as she remembered her bold actions from before, causing her to turn away in slight embarrassment and start picking out some clothes for her to wear.

The bell rang a few minutes later as she was about to decide what kind of kinky underwear she should wear. Wanting to put on a sexy pair in case someone other than her got to see it, preferably a green-eyed teen with wild black locks.

"Have you ever thought about what may be out there, Jean?", Elijah suddenly asked.

Turning away from the drawer she was currently rummaging through, Jean turned her head towards him, only to see him lying on his back and staring at the ceiling with an absent-minded gaze.

"Out where? Outside this mansion?", Jean asked, unsure what he meant.

"I am mean out there, besides this planet. Other worlds, Jean.", he answered in a tone that she couldn't identify.

"You have?", she asked.

"No, I don't have to think about it. I know that there is more out there than just empty planets and burning stars. That there are adventures to be had.", Elijah said in a quiet tone, and she finally managed to realize what it was that sounded out in his voice.

It was longing. A deep-seated longing to go out on an adventure. To wander the stars.

It was also at this moment, that Jean truly realised that Elijah simply had to leave this place in the future, or he wouldn't ever find what he was clearly looking for.

And while this knowledge caused a sting of pain to appear in her heart, Jean pushed it away as she approached the bed.

Kneeling on it and leaning forward, her hair created a fiery-red curtain as she placed her lips on Elijah's, before saying in a quiet voice: "One day, you will have to tell me about your adventures amongst the stars."

"I will.", Elijah replied with a certainty that just forced her to believe him.

…

It was a few minutes later that Jean emerged from the bathroom after she had finished changing.

Now she wore a pair of skin-tight dark-blue jeans and my white shirt with a small black belt around it, so it wasn't too baggy. Some red sneakers and a waist-high leather jacket completed her outfit. Her hair was tied into a single long ponytail and she didn't wear make-up, except some lipstick.

"Ready for breakfast?", I asked, though I could see that she was slightly nervous.

Like a normal teenage girl, she was probably thinking about how others might react if we showed up together. With so many mutants in the school, it was basically impossible this keep a secret.

Enhanced Senses, empathy, telepathy, etc.

I may be safe from the last two, but not from the first. The mark on my neck was also pretty obvious. Still, I had no problem with others knowing about Jean and me, or I wouldn't have started anything in the first place.

Standing up from the bed, I approached her and softly brushed over her cheek with my fingers before leaving a light kiss on her lips. Forgetting her nervousness, she calmed down at my touch.

"Let's go.", I said quietly, as I grabbed her hand and moved out of the room and into the corridor.

There were a few other students in the hallway, giving us surprised stares as they saw us together, but as mentioned I didn't really care.

I had died once already, so how could I waste my time worrying about how others would think of my actions with this new chance at hand?

I only held onto Jean's hand lightly, so she could withdraw her hand whenever she wanted. But instead, she had grabbed onto it more tightly, as if gaining more confidence with every step, until finally, she had interwoven her fingers with mine.

As I didn't care much for the whispers around us, I decided to use my time more efficiently by creating a small barrier in my free hand and manipulating it into different shapes.

"You know for someone who has just gotten his power, you have incredible control over it.", Jean remarked in an impressed tone.

"That may be true, but it is still a far cry from what you can do.", I replied honestly.

"Well, I have trained my abilities since I was a child, so it's not a fair comparison.", Jean reasoned.

Giving her a small smile, I replied: "Don't worry, I will catch up soon."

"You can try.", Jean quipped back with a smirk of her own.