Hanging By A Moment

Hanging By A Moment
Chapter 1: Club Xtreme

************************************************************************

AN: Hey! My name is Slickboy444! I have been writing fanfiction stories for quite a while now and I have greatly enjoyed everything I have done with my stories and dreams. This story is but another dream in my vast collection of ideas. It’s a story that is mainly focused on romance, drama, personal growth, and yes…Sex. This is probably the most sexual plot I have ever conceived of in my mind. But I feel that it is in a good way!

This story was inspired by my favorite comic/cartoon, X-men. It primarily comes off of X-men: Evolution, but has some elements from the comics. I got this idea a while back after reading a series of fics on fanfiction.net that dealt with no power AUs in the X-men universe. In other words, the characters don’t have any mutant powers and are normal human beings. In this story, that is the case. The main characters, all from X-men, are not mutants and have no mutant powers. They are all normal people with different lives. This means that the story will be more focused on the characters, so there is a more humanistic aspect to this story. I have really been itching to do a fic like this and I am eager to see how it pans out!

I also feel that there needs to be more Scott/Jean on adult-fanfiction.org! They are the longest lasting, more enduring couple of the X-men! They have been together for nearly 40 years and I feel that it is just plain illogical to stick them with anybody else. This fic is a way of adding of filling the void. Hopefully, I’ll inspire others as well.

Plot Summery: No powers AU. Jean Grey is a beautiful, smart, sexy college girl at the Xavier Academy who is just starting her junior year of college. In her life, she has always been somewhat of a black sheep and never believed in ‘true love.’ She has had numerous relationships with many men in the past, but they have mainly been disastrous, ill matched, or just suited for sexual reasons. She doesn’t believe that it’s possible for her to find ‘the one.’ But that all changes when a new, ex-marine student comes to her out of nowhere and turns her world upside down and forever changes her heart and soul.

Pairings: Major Scott/Jean, Logan/Ororo, Rogue/Remy, Kitty/Piotr, Warren/Betsy, Wanda/Kurt, and possibly more.

Rating: NC-17. This means adult language and situations and EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT! Be warned! If you are at all sensitive to these things, I would strongly advise against reading this!

AN: ‘These mean character thoughts.’

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from X-men in any way shape or form. I also don’t own the song “Hanging by a Moment” by Lifehouse so please don’t sue me! I have nothing!

Special Note: I may post a more watered down R rated version on fanfiction.net and the real, graphic version on the website adult-fanfiction.org. So if you want to read this fic in its entirety, go to adult-fanfiction.org.

Warning: A reminder! This fic had graphic depictions of sex and sexual situations! It’s not meant to be harmful or kinky in any way and is generally in a positive light! BE WARNED! The content ahead may offend you if you are sensitive to such material. So BE CAREFUL! This is a final warning!

This fic is dedicated to my wonderful fanfiction.net reviewers: Optic Red, Sentoris, Reddfire, Darkenss1, Extra2restrial, Enchantedlight, Code_Redd, Agent-G, Heartsyhawk, Mrs. Jean Grey-Summers, Lil Jean, Funeral of Hearts, Lyranfan, and Wen1.

And I implore you! Please REVIEW! I urge you all to tell me what you think of this story! I’d love to know! I always enjoy getting feedback and I am open to constructive criticism! But please be kind! Don’t be overly rude. Please email me your reviews at slickboy444@aol.com or post them on fanfiction.net or adult-fanfiction.org.

Well, that’s it! I hope you all enjoy the story! Now, slickboy444 proudly presents “Hanging By A Moment!” Enjoy!

************************************************************************

It was a crisp summer night in the last days of August in the heart of Bayville, New York. It was a growing city not on the same scale as Albany or Manhattan, but it was large enough to qualify as big. In the heart of it all, there existed the Xavier Academy for Higher Learning. It was a well regarded institute with great academic levels for growing minds. While not Ivy League, it was a very good school that many aspiring students yearned to join. Not just for the academic quality, but also the wonderful campus life and city surroundings.

Enter Jean Grey, a smart, beautiful redhead from an upper class Connecticut family. She had just begun her junior year at the academy. For the last two years, she had been doing quite well for herself. While she enjoyed her science and humanities classes, much of her schedule was dominated by business courses. However, that wasn’t her choice. It was all to appease her parents.

Her family consisted mainly of staunch, upper class business people with a lot of money and connections. Such status led many to believe she got into the academy through her family rather than her grades. But anyone who thought this would have been dead wrong. Jean Grey had done very well in high school. She managed a high GPA, was a star athlete on the soccer team, and was popular among her peers.

Her appearance was one that drew jealousy from most women. She was fairly tall and very well built. She played a lot of sports throughout her life and had made it a regular habit of working out in the gym. She had a well defined build from her arms, to her toned abs, and along her sexy legs that she took so much pride in. She had a truly alluring body and had even modeled swimsuits for a while.

Her body alone was enough, but there was something special to her graceful appearance. She had long flowing red hair that cascaded down her shoulders and extended halfway down her back. Her skin was fairly light, but not totally pale and blended well with her hair. She lacked blemishes or freckles and was never one to overuse makeup. She liked to show off her natural beauty and not cover it. But her most stunning feature was her deep, green eyes, which resembled beautiful emerald gems and lit up every room she entered.

Given such looks, Jean Grey was no stranger to men, relationships, and sex. She had numerous boyfriends throughout her teenage years and into college and was very comfortable with her sexuality. Among all the flings and hookups she had experienced, only three were ever serious.

One, which also happened to be her first sexual experience, was a star football player of her high school named Duncan Matthews. Being her first relationship and her first time, it had been pretty significant. But things quickly soured because of Duncan’s self centered, cocky nature. Now that she looked back on it, Jean couldn’t remember what she ever saw in him in the first place since he was pure looks.

Her second serious relationship was substantially better. Jean had dated a guy her age during the first part of her senior year named Cash Cole. She had a lot more in common with him compared to Duncan Matthews. They were able to communicate a lot better and there was a major conversation aspect to their relationship. While they had a lot more in common, like Duncan, Cole proved to be equally arrogant. Eventually their relationship became strained and eventually led to a breakup. Like Duncan, it was not pretty. But that was because he ended up cheating on her during a party that led to a fight that ended it for good.

During her last year of high school, Jean went from fling to fling, one never lasting more than a few weeks or in some cases a single night. Much of this was because of her fun loving, free spirited attitude. It made her the black sheep of her family. While her older sister, Sara, matured, got married, and acted all prim and proper, Jean preferred to be free and indulge in the simple pleasures of life. She was happier going to parties, drinking casually, having brief but passionate flings with good looking guys rather than conforming to traditional notions of relationships. But wile she did have many ambitious dreams, her parents more or less laid out her life for her after she graduated high school and this led to her third major relationship, Warren Worthington III.

Jean had balanced her party loving nature with reasonable study habits to gain good grades in school. It kept her sane and prevented her from becoming too snobbish like the rest of her family. But part of that was definitely offset after her parents set her up with the son of a prominent family that the Greys had long known, the Worthingtons. At first Jean wasn’t too enthusiastic about it, but all her concerns were thrown out the window when she took in his dashing good looks. His long blond hair, gentlemanly behavior, and healthy sexual appetite more than made up for it. He was every woman’s dream boy, like a hansom prince from a fairy tale. He was rich and well groomed. Their parents talked marriage before they had even been introduced. But the influence of their families was a major source of stress.

Jean often thought of Warren as a guy fit for a relationship, but not for casual friendship. But since both families would profit greatly and extend their overall status, Jean’s family pressured her to tough it out. And while this relationship proved to be her longest lasting, there were problems.

Despite the physical attraction they shared, they lacked ever other meaningful connection. Half the time there was a great deal of awkwardness between them. Warren was a man of different tastes, while Jean was a girl who enjoyed the simpler things in life. Warren’s accepted his upper class lifestyle while Jean often yearned for more excitement. He wasn’t the easiest person to have a conversation with. They often argued over mundane things. Warren was not a man Jean could ever see herself with in the long run, but the relationship aspect remained. And while the sexual part was good, Jean soon picked up on Warren’s more ‘kinky’ tastes that she didn’t really share.

Their relationship lasted over a year, mostly because of their parents. And when Jean’s family wanted her to drop out of the Xavier Academy and go live in New York City with him, she refused. Ironically, Warren agreed. Even he had lost faith in ther relationships and so it ended. This was a grave disappointment to her parents. While she still came into contact with Warren every now and then because their families, they kept their distance knowing that their relationship had been so strained.

But Jean wanted more out of life than just sitting around in the lave of luxury doing nothing all day. She wanted to pursue an education. To her, love took a back seat. Her soured relationships left Jean Grey a non-believer of true love. All the men she had known, from the long lasting ones to the one night stands, were not guys that she would ever want to grow old with. She was satisfied with sexual flings and casual friendships, thinking love would never be a part of her future. But as the old saying goes, love is a fickle thing.

************************************************************************

It was Friday and the night was young. Many eager young college students crowded the entrance to Club Xtreme, one of the hottest night clubs in Bayville. A new year was beginning and new students were experiencing their first night run as freshmen while others returned to reunite with friends after a long summer break.

Jean Grey had been waiting in line for a half hour, but she was finally near the entrance. She was here to meet her friends, most of which had been away for the summer while she stayed in Bayville, only going home to her family occasionally so she didn’t have to face their scrutiny.

On this night, Jean chose to dress in her more provocative attire. She wore a pair of tight fitting leather pants that hugged her well shaped thighs and a tight fitting red shirt with a small black denim jacket to compliment her hair and show off her cleavage. In addition to meeting up with some old friends, she also hoped to hook up with some new guys. She always had good luck finding men at this club, sometimes for a brief fling or a one night stand. And since she was still reeling somewhat from her last misguided attempt at a relationship, she was ready to live it up and have some fun.

Finally, she arrived at the club entrance with a lone security guard. Upon seeing the way she was dressed, he flashed an approving smile.

“Oh you’re good. Go on in miss.”

“Thank you kind sir,” said Jean with a smirk after seeing the look she got from him.

The redhead made her way into the flashing lights and fast paced music of the club. Hot bodies moved to the beat, alcohol was flowed, and people were having a good time. Jean smiled as she soaked up the atmosphere and made her way through the crowd. She couldn’t help but move a little to the music and was tempted to just get out there and start dancing, but a sudden voice from one of the tables beckoned her.

“Hey Jean! Over here!” said a chipper voice Jean immediately recognized.

Turning her head, Jean’s was greeted with a welcome sight.

“Hey Kitty!” said Jean over the music as she made her way over to her friends, whom she hadn’t seen in over two months now.

“Jean, great to see you, luv,” said Betsy Braddock as Jean took her seat.

“Likewise babe! And how are you all doing on this fine Bayville night?” said Jean as she sunk into the aura of the club.

“Never better sugah!” grinned Rogue as she greeted her friend.

“Same here Jean! I can tell you’re in a good mood tonight,” commented Wanda Maximoff as she took another sip of her drink.

“You know it girlfriend!” said Jean enthusiastically.

Jean ordered herself a light drink and relaxed into her seat, soaking up the music and enjoying the company of her friends. Ever since she had been at the Xavier Academy, she had formed her own group of close friends. Since Jean had a rough relationship with her parents, she treasured friendships a great deal.

Elizabeth “Betsy” Braddock had gone to the same high school as her and had been close for years. Like Jean, Betsy was an adopted Asian orphan from a well-to-do rich family from Britain and moved to America for business reasons when she was 15. Like Jean, she was beautiful, sassy, but a bit more edgy. She was also rather promiscuous sexually. Her sexy looks, exotic British accent, and enchanting purple hair which she dyed regularly attracted a lot of men. She was into many of the same things Jean was, but actually favored the business world that Jean had wanted to distance herself from. She also had a better relationship with her parents compared to Jean, but the redhead attributed that to their less uptight nature. Betsy was known for being a free spirit and having a rather dirty mouth at times. But this kinkiness only made her more fun to be around.

Kitty Pryde was a typical upbeat valley girl. She met Jean after she moved to Connecticut from Chicago as a freshman in high school and quickly connected with her. And while not rich, her family was well off and it showed in her upbeat nature. Despite being younger, Jean and Betsy allowed her experience life with the upperclassmen and helped her adjust as a new student. She only just recently joined the Academy because of her excellent grades and was glad to have her friends with her.

Her appearance was marked by a petite stature with medium length brown hair about as long as Jean’s. Compared to Jean and Betsy, she wasn’t as promiscuous, but that didn’t mean she was a stranger to the sensual. With Jean and Betsy as her friends and an upbeat attitude, she willfully embraced the company of men. She was definitely not a virgin, but she was not as wild as her friends. She also held the record of their group for being in the longest relationship.

In high school, she had dated a guy named Lance Alvers, a typical bad boy wannabe from a lower middle class family that somehow managed to capture the valley girl’s heart. While not her first lover, he was definitely her longest lasting. They dated for a year and a half even though they didn’t have a lot in common. When it was good, it was good. But when it was bad, it was downright awful. While there was a genuine attraction between them, in the end they were just too different. Since then, Kitty had been on the rebound and Jean had helped her a lot along with the rest of her friends. And recently, she had gained a new interest in a Russian art student at the Academy, but had yet to make a move.

Marie Anna Darkholm, or Rogue as everybody called her, was a good friend of Jean’s that she met her freshmen year at the academy. Originally, she was from the quiet backwaters of Mississippi and was adopted when she was four. She was a genuine gal of the South and flaunted a southern accent. Appearance-wise, she had fairly pale skin and wore a lot of makeup. This was mainly because of her gothic style and she was often identified from the distinctive white streak she kept in her hair.

She also kept in shape thanks to her mother’s insistence on learning self defense at a young age and she had even taught Jean a few things. Keeping in shape also gave her a well toned body and a dashing aura of southern beauty. Both she and her younger German born brother Kurt, had a rich businesswoman for a mother named Raven Darkholm. Rogue, and Kurt later on after he moved to the United States, enjoyed being in a family with money and managed to get good enough grades to join the Xavier Academy. Both of them attended the academy and held down fairly decent grades.

In terms of men, Rogue was by no means traditional. She was reserved, she was into Goth, and was no stranger to the rules of attraction. In high school, she had a similar sense of promiscuity compared to Jean, but often remained quieter when it came to parties and social gatherings. She had also been in at least one relationship that she would classify as serious. It was with a star football player named Cody Hawkins and he had been Rogue’s first love, but when she moved to Bayville and he went to College and Louisville, they broke up. It was something Rogue took hard, but upon meeting Jean and Betsy, she lightened up and recently she had been eyeing one of the academy’s new bad boys, a Cajun by the name of Remy Lebeau. Since their first encounter, he had flirted with her and she had flirted back, but part of it was becase she was one of the few other southern girls in Bayville. But to her friends, that was probably the least of it because she often flirted back.

Wanda Maximoff had met Jean in her freshmen year at the academy. She and her twin brother, Pietro Maximoff, had moved to Bayville with their father soon after they got accepted into the school. Their father, Eric Lensherr, was a famous professor and good friends with Charles Xavier, the man who ran the Xavier academy. Xavier was also Wanda and Pietro’s trusted godfather. Some speculated that it was because of this relationship that they had been accepted. However, Jean knew Wanda was very intelligent and fully deserved to be here at the academy. Her brother on the other hand, Jean was not so sure about. He was a fast talking, self confident, ladies man that acted like a child more than an adult. But Jean was glad that such behavior hadn’t rubbed off on Wanda…for the most part that is.

Wanda’s sense of style was similar to Rogue’s, but in a more punk rock way. Wanda liked Goth, but was more into the punk look because she often wore black and red outfits and metal jewelry. She had short black hair that she had dyed slightly in areas, a well proportioned body, and an attitude all her own.

As Jean got to know Wanda, she noticed how part of her brother had rubbed off on her. Her punk rock, free spirit made her more of a party person than Rogue and was no stranger to the sensual. But like her brother, her tastes were a little convoluted in Jean’s opinion. Her last relationship with a crazy Australian student named John Allerdyce who got expelled for arson had befuddled everybody, but Wanda always chalked such things up to bad luck and didn’t let it hold her back. She was like Jean in her views towards love and romance, but lately Jean couldn’t help but get the feeling that Wanda had been eyeing Rogue’s brother, Kurt, lately.

Overall, Jean saw these four young women as her true friends. She had come to see them like sisters. They helped her forget the lousy things she had in life and helped her appreciate the good things she had. While her relationship with her parents was shaky at best, she could always count on her girlfriends when the going got tough. And now that classes were back in session, she was happy to have them back.

The five young women continued to laugh and soak up the good times as the crowd in the club continued to grow and the music continued to flow. They spent the first hour entirely at the table catching up on good times and sharing a few drinks. The mood was relaxed, upbeat, and full of possibilities.

“A toast ladies!” proclaimed Jean as she held up her glass, “To a new year here at the Xavier Academy!”

“Here, here!” they all agreed as they tapped glasses.

Upon finishing, each young woman simultaneously took a sip of their drink as the neon lights around them flashed in an aura of serenity and bliss.

“Man I’m glad the summer is over. I don’t think I could have survived another day back home,” sighed Jean.

“You know, you have got to be the only person alive that actually dreads the summer Jean,” commented Wanda as she finished her drink.

“I know gal!” said Rogue, “Summer is supposed to be a fun time! No school, no worries, time at the beach…what’s not to love?”

“Obviously you haven’t had to spend it with my parents,” grumbled Jean.

“You always say that, luv,” said Besty, rolling her eyes, “I’ve met your parents. They aren’t THAT bad.”

Jean let out another sigh. She could never explain her relationship with her parents very well. Betsy, despite their friendship, had only really seen a fraction of her home life. More often than not, Jean preferred hanging out with Betsy’s parents because they were so much more understanding. The same thing went for Kitty’s parents and Rogue’s mother. Even Wanda’s father was a wonderful man to sit down and have an intelligent conversation with. But it was complicated with her parents. She was the total black sheep of her family.

“With all do respect, Bets, you haven’t spent more than a day with them at a time,” said Jean, “Try a whole week. Or a month for that matter!”

“You make it sound like a weekend with my uncle,” commented Kitty.

“Kit, you have a talent for understatement,” laughed Jean, “But let’s not talk about that tonight. It’s college! Parents should be the least of our worries!”

“Amen sister!” said Rogue.

Everybody at the table had a nice round of laughs as Betsy and Rogue got some more drinks and continued to talk about random things from classes to TV and movies. Ever so often the girls would check out guys from a distance, listening to some music, or commenting about some other girl’s clothes. It was a very laid back feeling and helped them relax into the beginning of what promised to a new semester at the Xavier Academy.

“So Kitty, how have things been going with that new Russian art student you told me about earlier?” said Jean as their conversation soon drifted towards men.

“Not this again,” said Kitty, unable to keep herself from blushing.

“Kitty, enough with the denial,” said Rogue with a dirty grin, “You’ve been ogling this guy since he showed up. Why don’t you just ask him out already?”

“Oh? Well why don’t you ask out that Cajun guy you keep flirting with?” quipped Kitty, fighting right back.

“Hey, don’t turn this on me!” argued Rogue.

“Ladies please!” coaxed Betsy, “Why don’t you just answer at the same time? Save us all the trouble why don’t you?”

“Well I have an excuse,” said Rogue, her words trailing off.

This earned her a funny look from her friends, who were hardly convinced.

“And that would be…” said Jean, trying hard not to laugh.

“Ah’m biding my time,” said Rogue, trying to sound convincing.

“Well so am I,” said Kitty, “Peter’s a sweet guy. I don’t want to rush it.”

“Oh please,” scoffed Wanda, “Since when has waiting around like some stray dog ever done any good? My advice…flirt!”

“Yeah like you do with mah brother,” muttered Rogue under her breath.

“What was that?!” shot Wanda defensively.

“Oh nothin’,” said Rogue with a grin.

Both Jean and Betsy started laughing, much to the dismay of the others. But they managed to calm themselves before they started glaring at them.

“Oh come on girls. If you really want something, you can’t be afraid to just go out there and grab it,” said Betsy as she took a quick sip of her drink.

“I agree,” said Jean, “Kitty, if you want a helping of Russian endurance, and Rogue, if you want a little Cajun spice, then you should get out there and help yourself! Life is a buffet! Enjoy it!”

“Nice terminology Jean,” commented Wanda as she saw both Rogue and Kitty blush.

“Hey, I’m just putting it into words that can be easily understood,” shrugged Jean.

Everybody couldn’t help but laugh as twisted as it may be.

“Speak for yourself Jean,” quipped Kitty, “We haven’t heard much about your recent appetizers.”

“Oh you know how she is when it comes to how she handles the fellas!” grinned Rogue.

This earned them a snide look from Jean, but she didn’t stop grinning.

“Hey, my philosophy is that there are guys to have good relationships with and there are guys to have good sex with. There are very few in between and after my last serious relationship, I’ve pretty much given up on them. But that doesn’t mean I want to give up sex. Hell, If I find a guy attractive and he finds me attractive and we both want to do it I don’t see any downside!”

“Definitely luv!” said Betsy, “Why give up something as good as that? Although I don’t see why you broke up with that Warren Worthington guy. He seemed like such a gent when I met him two years ago.”

“If you want him, by all means Betsy, help yourself. But I just can’t do relationships anymore. They’re too much work and it’s with all the wrong guys.”

“Then how do you expect to fall in love Jean?” asked Kitty.

Jean laughed at that, not seeing how she would ever be able to find the kind of love that people romanticize over after all her failed relationships. The hard times she had with her parents had also made love seem like it was something just for movies and not for real life.

“Kitty, love is the last thing on my mind now. I know a lot of people believe that they have one person out there specifically for them, but I’ve been in too many failed relationships that I thought were love. I guess I just don’t have faith in it anymore. Besides, I’m happier with the way things are.”

“So you resort to one night stands and meaningless sex?” said Rogue with a smirk.

“Meaningless casual sex doesn’t hurt anybody,” laughed Jean, “I enjoy it. The guys enjoy it. If anything, that’s what they want more often than not. Face it, after the train wrecks I’ve been in I’ve decided to just give up on relationships for now. There just aren’t any decent men out there right now.”

“Well maybe you just haven’t met the right guy, Jean,” said Wanda as she leaned back in her chair, stretching her muscles.

“Maybe I haven’t. Maybe I never will. But it really doesn’t matter to me. I’m perfectly content with how things are now. Besides, It’s not like some guy will just come walking in and he’ll be the one that I’ll fall head over heals in love with and spend the rest of my life…”

Suddenly, Jean stopped in mid sentence as her gaze became fixed on the entrance not far from their table. From there, a striking young man walked through the entrance. Her mouth hung open as she took in the sight before her. At first the four other girls were confused by her sudden shift in demeanor, but when they saw what Jean was looking at and they became equally entranced. And as the young redhead watched the young man, only one thought went through her mind.

‘Wow.’

He began casually looking around the club, as if he was trying to get a feel for the overall layout. None of the five women had seen him before. He was a totally new face. He was also a major hottie. He was very well built, almost like a body builder, but with more of an overall athletic shape. He was tall and had broad shoulders brimming with muscle. He wore a pair of baggy military camouflage pants and a tight fitting black T-shirt that showed off his strong, well built muscles. And around his neck, he wore a short metal bead chain with three military dog tags around it. He also had a slightly tan skin tone and had short chestnut brown hair that was parted in the center. But the most dashing feature of all was his deep blue eyes.

He was truly stunning. It was as if some higher being had just sent him down for the sole purpose of making the Jean gawk. Either way, the young redhead could not tear her gaze from the beautiful stranger.

“Oh my God!” said Kitty, breaking the silence as they gawked at the handsome stranger.

“Somebody call the fire department because it just got a little hotter in here!” smirked Rogue.

“Hey, leave him to us single gals! What about Remy?” said Betsy, as her eyes ran up and down the stranger’s body.

“Who’s Remy?” said Rogue in a daze.

The five girls continued to watch him as he made his way over to the bar. He seemed alone, which was a good sign. Jean gulped down the rest of her drink as a smile spread across her face.

‘I think this night just got a little better,’ thought the beautiful redhead as she stood up.

“Jean, where are you going?” asked Wanda as all the other girls were snapped back into reality.

“What does it look like, Wanda?” said Jean, keeping her focus on the young man, “I’m going to introduce myself to mister tall, dark, and handsome. He seems new here so it’s only good manners.”

“Right,” grinned Betsy, “And I guess this means you’ll be leaving us early tonight to show this newcomer the velvet carpet of Club Jean?”

“Well if I play my cards right…” mused Jean at the sight of the beautiful stranger, “If by chance I don’t see you girls, I’ll catch you tomorrow.”

“Well aren’t you a little overconfident,” commented Kitty.

“Oh ye of little faith…I’m going,” quipped Jean.

And with that, Jean Grey slowly got up and made her way over to the young man sitting alone at the bar while her four friends watched intently.

“Ten bucks says their first conversation lasts less than five minutes before she makes her move,” betted Rogue.

“You’re on!” said Wanda.

“Witness,” added Kitty as they turned their attention towards their eager friend.

Jean was slow and steady in approaching this young, handsome man. Her way of picking up men relied heavily on patience and finesse. The closer she got to him, the more her knees began to shake. Normally, she would never be this nervous before going up to a guy. But there was something different about this one. He had this aura to him that Jean couldn’t help but find alluring.

Jean forced herself to calm down and stay confident. Taking a few deep breaths, she got into her sexy mode. She worked to filter out all surrounding sounds and distractions so she could focus solely on the man standing before her.

While Jean made her way towards the young man, he seemed more or less unaware of the approaching woman. He was still looking around as if he was trying to get a feel for the layout of the club, further hinting that he was new.

“What can I get you pal?” said the male barkeep behind the counter.

“New York Dazzler with a twist,” answered the young man as he relaxed onto her barstool.

“Comin’ right up!”

While the barkeep was swiftly preparing his drink, the young man’s head began to wander around the brilliantly lit club. Jean was still approaching, now only a few feet behind him. Taking a deep breath, she prepared to make her move.

‘Okay Jean,’ she thought to herself, ‘No need to be anxious. You’ve done this before. This one shouldn’t be hard. He’s new here. You need a little ‘action’ from all the stress of the summer. Just try not to get sucked into his body…or his muscles…or…damn it! Just say something already!’

Upon getting his drink, Jean finally decided it was now or never. Her friends continued to watch her with a look of great intrigue. Casting them a confident look, Jean took a deep breath and spoke her first words to this new man.

“Hi. I haven’t seen you around here before.”

The young man turned and faced the source of this voice, only to freeze upon seeing her. Jean couldn’t help but smile at his reaction. This was definitely a good sign. The young man’s eyes widened, his jaw nearly falling to the floor at the beautiful young woman that now stood before him. Her long, fiery red hair looked divine in the lights of the club. Her figure was well built and perfectly toned. She definately spent time in the gym. And then there were her emerald green eyes. They seemed like gems and they were focused completely on him. And only one thought went through his mind.

‘Wow.’

Forcing himself to regain his composure, the man quickly responded.

“Well that’s because I haven’t been here before,” he answered logically, showing he wasn’t one to lose his cool around women.

“Oh? Why not?” said Jean as she sat next to him, leaning on the bar counter, “This is the hottest club in this part of Bayville.”

“So I’ve heard,” replied the young man, relaxing into the conversation, “I’m kind of new to the area. I just moved here a week ago.”

“Really? A new guy huh?” smiled Jean.

“You could say that,” he replied, matching her smile with one of his own, “I just enrolled as a junior in the Xavier Academy.”

“The Xavier Academy?” said Jean, playing with one of the long strands of her red hair, “I’m a student there too. I’ll be starting my junior year.”

“So I guess you’ll be my new class mate?”

“I guess so,” replied Jean, enjoying so far how this guy talked.

A silence soon came over them as the two youths continued to look each other down, uncertain of what to say next. But Jean was quick to keep the dialogue flowing, wanting to know more about this mysterious new man.

“So if we’re going to be classmates, can I at least know your name?” asked the young man as he casually took a sip of his drink.

Jean smiled at his sense of formality. He was not too strict, but not too loose. She continued to grow more intrigued by the enticing aura that this young man projected. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she yearned to know more about him.

“Jean…Jean Grey,” she answered with a smile, “And what about you? Do I get to know you’re name as well?”

“Scott Summers,” said the man, increasingly captivated by Jean’s presence.

“Nice to meet you Scott,” said Jean as she held out her hand.

“Nice to meet you too Jean,” said Scott as he took her hand and shook it.

A warm tingle from the contact of their hands made Jean go weak in the knees from the warmth of his touch. She had just met him and already he was making her feel so strange inside. And if Scott had been standing, he was sure his legs would have faltered as well. Both youths were drawn to each other. The atmosphere of the club and the rhythmic music heightened their attraction, drawing them to one another in a way that went beyond all words.

“So…” said Scott, smiling warmly at the beautiful woman, “Can I buy you a drink?”

************************************************************************

AN: Well, that’s the first chapter! How do you like it so far? This chapter was mainly an introductory part for the characters so hopefully this will keep things clearer as the story progresses. There isn’t any smut or lemony content now, but there will be in the future! Other than that, what did you think? Please tell me! Send me your reviews via email or post them on the website! Either way is fine as long as you REVIEW! Thanks a lot for reading! I wish you all the best!