Disclaimer: The X-men belongs to marvel, of course. Duh. The others that are mentioned (Jean and Cyke�s friends) are just made up by me.

Note: This is my first fanfic ever!! So please give me feedback guys. E-mail me at [email protected].

Two Left Feet

By

tami59

~

Scott opened the mahogany doors leading to the hotel ballroom. It was like entering a different world away from the posh hotel lobby he just came from. Inside music was blaring, lights were flashing. People were mingling around and were just dancing the night away. Scott sighed; he should have just ditched the whole dance. He didn�t even want to go at the first place. But you�re missing one of your most memorable nights ever! Kitty said. What will your children think of you if you missed your prom just because you were too nervous? Kurt demanded. Nervous? Me!? Nervous of what? He defensively retorted back. You know with dates and stuff and her� Kurt replied. Scott shook his head thinking of that scene. Well right now, Kurt was right, he was feeling cold and clammy and out of place. Dances was never his thing. He only went for one reason. And right now he can�t find her. He scanned the place with only person in his mind. When he saw her, she was near the dance floors with a couple of her friends. She was wearing a simple ankle-length pale gold gown. The spaghetti strapped bodice and the soft-layering fabrics showed off her lithe figure. Her usually flowing red hair was pulled up to an elegant knot. She looked breathtaking tonight, he thought. Then again, for him, she always looked great in anything, in her usual clothes, in her bad hair days, even in her rattiest pair of jeans and faded shirt that she was wearing when they cleaned out the garage. Then he realized Jean was waving at him, he waved back blushing, he didn�t realized how long he was staring at her. This is one of the few times he�s thankful for his dark glasses. He went to her.

�Hi� he called out when he was within earshot.

�Hi yourself� Jean smiled.

Her friend Tara was wiggling her eyebrows and giving Jean meaningful looks. Her other friend Kim giggled shrilly, �I can see we�re not needed here, see you around Jean.� They walked away. He never liked those girls.

�So umm great dance� Scott lied, trying to think of something to say.

�Yea, it is�� Jean trailed off. ��Where�s your date?�

Jack, Scott�s history classmate, had fixed Scott up with a date with his cousin Amber who was visiting him from Florida. He saw her a couple of nights before and she practically ignored him and just kept on flirting with Jack�s other friend instead. She called Scott up a few hours ago saying she had a stomachache. Figures.

�She can�t come. Apparently, she had last minute stomach cramps. Couldn�t she at least come up with a better excuse?� Scott snorted.

Jean looked at him. �Maybe she did have cramps. I could picture it now, she�s probably slapping herself unconscious, regretting why she had to pass up a date with you�. wondering madly on what she�ll be missing out.�

�I don�t buy that but thanks for trying,� Scott smiled, missing the slightly wistful tone in Jean�s voice when she said that.

�So how about you? Where�s Duncan?�

Jean exhaled loudly, �He said he�d be late for an hour. Who knows for whatever reason.� rolling her eyes.

�Oh good� he blurted out. � erm I mean that�s bad� I can keep you company for a while if you want.�

�That would be great,� Jean replied.

Both of them fell silent and just stared off at the dance floor that was ahead of them. �Want to dance?� Jean asked, finally breaking the silence.

Scott was shaking his head vigorously,� What? me? No way.�

But Jean was already yanking him towards the dance floor �Come on� she laughed.

�Hey, You know I can�t dance.�

�Right. You mean the man, who�d been expertly dodging the laser beams in the danger room with complicated moves, can�t move to the beat.�

�That�s very different from this�

�Right, this is much easier.�

Before Scott realized it, he was on the dance floor surrounded by people dancing to the fast music. He moved awkwardly, concentrating hard on trying not to humiliate himself in front of the girl he liked.

�You�re doing great� Jean shouted over the music, as they danced their second song, �except, try to relax more.�

Right, Scott thought mockingly, relax.

Suddenly the music shifted to a ballad. That made both of them stop and look at each other. Both of them were uncertain on doing anything, as couples surrounding them were already pulled close to their partners, swaying intimately to the melody. This time it was Scott who spoke up first. �Do you want to continue?� he asked tentatively, he didn�t want Jean to think that he wanted to lead her on.

�Ok� Her voice barely audible.

He hesitantly placed his right hand on her waist and his other held her hand. He felt a tingle when he came in contact with her skin, but quickly brushed the feeling away. They promptly fell into step without Jean even instructing him what steps his feet should take. His nervousness melted away, only feeling her near him and nothing else. He was looking at her during the dance thinking how things between them had become so complicated. He had long wanted to talk to her about how he felt, but the fear of rejection was practically screaming in his mind. Besides if he did tell her, what would happen next? What if she didn�t want to go further? Or what if she did and they did date and it didn�t work out? They can�t go back to where they are now. He doesn�t want to ruin his friendship with his best friend. It was one of the things that he valued the most, he can�t ruin it. Oh yeah, and there�s still the matter of Jean�s thick-headed-sort-of-boyfriend, which she has an unsteady relationship with��

�See, you are a good dancer. You just didn�t know that before.� Jean remarked, her voice pulling him back to the present.

Scott raised his eyebrows. �Flattery would get you nowhere Jean, you still owe me a full meal at the burger joint,� he replied referring to the bet they had made two days ago. They were playing Evan�s video game that afternoon, and Jean lost to him.

�No way! You cheated at that match! You tickled me when I was about to give a fatal blow to your guy� she retorted mock indignantly.

�Uh huh, but not right after you tickled me�

Jean laughed �We�ll have to have a rematch then huh? This time the stakes would be higher.�

�Fine, you called for it, let�s see�a meal and a week�s chores�

Jean narrowed her eyes, pretending to give it a lot of thought, �Hmm.. fair enough, I�ll even throw in a pair of socks.�

They shook on it and laughed at their silliness.

The night was turning out to be great after all.