Planetary Rendezvous

The X-Men members had became four and five, and even sometimes six, there was more to do. The activities of the X-Men continued, with Scott at the center, when without the professor. 

It was almost chaotic, and they barely remember the X-Men when they weren't five before. 

At some point, Warren seemed to have forgotten his game with Scott. Age was unnecessary for becoming one as a team after all. Scott thought Warren had given up. Yet it continued. Warren suggested having brunch together. 

It was a surprise. Warren had already half accepted that Jean was more interested in Scott than in him, but he treated them both the same way—as if nothing had changed. As friends. 

But Scott’s first answer wasn’t ‘Yes.’ 

“No,” he said. “Having a meal at Worthington Tower is too expensive for me. And don’t even think about paying for my meals. It makes me only feel like an impose.” 

But Warren convinced Scott that the game wasn’t over. The family was still family. The age difference is still a difference. The promise was a promise until it broke up. That was what Warren said. 

And it was a bad day to refuse his favor. Jean was moving her things to College, and Scott was already emotionally weak today.

“Only this time, Warren.” 

Scott gave up. He could have refused, but Warren was more annoying when he didn’t get his way. So they went to Worthington Tower for brunch. Scott already knew that about him. Scott knew enough who Warren Worthington was. 

The rain cleared during the meal. Scott and Warren both stared at it. There were dishes on the table with prices, but they didn't care. The sky broke open, light pressing through the gray clouds. 

“…The view’s great,” Scott said looking at the clearing sky.

“Right? You should see it more often. I wish you could fly too.” 

“Yeah.” Scott smiled bitterly. 

“…Want to go to the movies after? Or a museum? Also, an exhibition would be nice.” Warren picked up a pamphlet from the table, and read the title. His eyes were getting narrowed. “Like this one–The New York Aircraft Exhibition… held by Worthington Enterprises … Oh.”

“That works out.” Scott teased him.

“Hey, it's not my fault I’m rich.”

“It sounds fun.”

“We both love flying anyway.”

So they walked through the wet streets of New York, heading toward the museum.

Warren was receiving his VIP pass at the entrance, and Scott stood behind, staring at the model airplane head front by the entrance.

There were few people inside the museum, and it was a rainy day, so it was quiet. But even they were crowded around the sculpture at the entrance. Scott was one of them. 

He could name almost every aircraft in the world. He had memorized them like an encyclopedia. He knew what he saw right now was not the plane that his family crashed. But as he stood there, his chest tightened. It was a strange thing when his body rejects the things he likes.

It was knowing you were about to break apart, but still reaching for it anyway. 

“Earth to Summers.  You okay?” Warren’s hand rested on his shoulder and whispered. His voice was grounding him back in reality. 

“I’m okay. It's Just—” 

“If you don’t feel well, we can just leave anytime,” He was sincerely worried. He knew how Scott hid his feelings.

“No. I’m fine. Really,” Scott reached his hand to take his pass and hung it around his neck.

The exhibition was… Good. A big corporate showcase, neat, and much for entertainment. The kind of event that people can enjoy. The most popular one was the cockpit ride, and Warren’s VIP pass got them cut most of the lines. Young Scott felt very sorry for the others, but the guilt soon disappeared in front of the fun.

They sat together, pressing buttons, pretending to pilot a jet together. Warren saw how concentrated Scott was. He watched him to see when he would smile. Warren knew Scott would not smile easily, but he definitely looked happy. That was a thing that made Warren happy. 

“Want to learn together next summer? Let me help you,” Warren watched him quietly and then said seriously. 

“I… I’d love to. But it’s probably hard to read signs. I really want to. Really. But It's challenging. I don’t want to disappoint you.” Scott looked embarrassed. He seemed to be smiling, but also it seemed like a clumsy refusal, that even his glasses couldn't hide it.

“That’s just because it’s a regular airplane,” Warren said, smiling. “Meet Worthington the Third, Scott Summers. The most unusual Worthington of all. I have a new design planned. A piloting system made for you, and people like us, mutants. I’ll tell you about it later. You should fly the jet we use.”

It was typical, but Warren’s smile was the most reliable thing in the world to Scott. It was a positive sign, a sign that not everything was going to be so bad. So Scott decides to believe it. “With my best wings?”

“With your best guardian angel, Scott. You’ll learn how to fly someday, with me.” 

The rain continued until next week. 

Late in the afternoon, Jean and Scott sat at the kitchen table, Scott was drinking cocoa, and Jean stirred her tea lazily, watching raindrops slide down the windows. Scott told Jean about the exhibition without much thought. He just expected she would be interested too. But it was a mistake.

“That was a date,” Jean said.

Scott blinked. “What?”

“Warren asked you out on a date.”The tea leaves in her teacup rustled too, like her emotion. 

Scott had no idea what Jean was talking about. “Was it?” 

“That’s exactly how his dates. It's the perfect date except for the carnival.” Jean was so certain.

“I don’t like crowded places. …So?” Scott raised an eyebrow.

“Then it was a date.”

Scott didn’t know if it was true or not. But he wasn’t surprised. Maybe he had expected her reaction, in some way. Jean seemed like she was jealous… as if Scott was dating him.

Scott thought about it. Warren and Jean used to date. And they had broken up. So this couldn’t be a problem, now. Although, technically Warren was still her better option than himself. After all, Warren was a playboy. He could have Jean, or Scott, or anyone, he thought. 

And yet, if it was a date, Scott wondered—why hadn’t Warren kissed him?

Bobby was lying down on his bed, finishing extra homework. Scott sat in a chair, arms crossed. Scott asked Bobby if the day he spent with Warren was a date. 

“Of course, it was not a date.”

“Uhm, okay,” When he asked Bobby the same question, his reaction was opposite to Jean’s.

“Having Fancy brunch and going to the art galleries—”

“The museum.” Scott corrected it.

“—So, the museum was a date, I've been dating my mom.” Bobby scoffed. 

“Any other signs?” Bobby turned back, stretching his arms across his bed.

“I think he probably had another intention,” Scott said.

“Like what?” Bobby tilted his head.

“...He bought me a postcard, see?” Scott reached into his pocket and pulled out a lenticular postcard. The image changed when tilted—two nebulae overlapping, sparkling in the light. Scott had carried it with him ever since he got it as if he treasures it.

Bobby sat up.“Anything else? Like holding hands?”

“No.”

“Arms linked?” Bobby narrowed his eyes. 

“...No?” 

Bobby laughed shortly. “Ha! Don’t be stupid, Scott. It wasn’t a date at all.”

“It wasn’t a date,” Bobby repeated it, just as firmly. As if he was jealous.

Jean seemed to be jealous of Warren. Bobby, somehow, seemed jealous of Scott. It was all starting to feel strange and too complicated. He never expected to deal with it. So Scott decided to end the controversy from its origin.

“Was it a date?” Warren blinked slowly, half-asleep.

Scott went to his room to ask, but he didn’t mean to wake him up. He was sorry and tried to leave, but Warren pulled him inside, not letting him go easily. Wings curled around him as the door shut.

Scott sat on the bed, and Warren sat in the chair, like used to be. The room was dark except for the moonlight, where Scott could see his outline and his bed wall. Warren's room also has the same postcards they bought that day. 

Warren kept yawning. He was exhausted. The evening training session was intense. Warren kept dozing off.

“Warren.”

“Mm, Sorry. You mean the date?” Warren rubbed his eyes. “No. It wasn’t a date. If it was, I would have escorted you properly.”

“I thought you did, actually.”

“You call that an escort?” Warren was shocked and sighed. “Look, if I was really taking you out, and escorting you, I had been ready for a bouquet, pulled out your chair, and kept your coat. Did I do that all?” Warren didn't seem to be lying about what happened that day. The only lie he told was his feelings about Scott. Warren had not dared to date Scott.

Scott had thought about it and said, “No.” 

Scott was so convinced of what Warren lied about. And so does Warren himself too.

He had picked Scott up from the car, took his coat, and hung it up when they had a meal. But half of the conditions weren't met, so Scott's answer was ‘No.’ 

In fact, the half was correct, so this could be called a half-date. Anyway, it's not a date for Warren. Never.

“Don’t think too hard about it. Go to sleep.” Warren patted him and lifted him out of bed, then went to sleep.

Scott came out of Warren’s room and headed to his room.

Before turning off the lights, he looked at the bedside wall.  The walls were filled with things he had received as gifts. Things X-Men started giving him as gifts are displayed on his wall here and there. Scott started collecting things again. They were all red to him, so he couldn't tell the original color, but he liked them. 

Starting with Jean’s present, they gathered more and more. Scott's room has changed quite a bit since Jean came in. They were definitely different from the pictures he had collected at the orphanage.

He used to collect only things he was interested in. But now, there were things that not only interested him, but other’s interests mixed up. Still, he liked them. Now, they became part of Scott. 

He knew that he was not alone or abandoned. He could reach out whenever he wants when he just needs help.

Warren made Scott’s heartbeat, bringing him to life again and Jean breathed life into him.

They ignited something in him—Scott’s life.