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Relax? Have You Said Relax?: Chapter Four

She hadn't had to repeat herself; the group of 13 people (and Mathilde) -- "That's a good start," the superstitious would say... -- dashed to the shore, waiting impatiently before the next wave came to lick their feet.

"Oh! It's fresh!" started Amara.

"Sorry, but the Kilauea's crater wasn't available," joked Kurt, knowing the temperature's gust of his friend.

"You really find it fresh Amara?" asked Bobby. "Me, I think it's perfect and it'd be a little fresher if...but we haven't the right."

"Oh, come on Iceman!" Tabitha laughed at him. "Let us see if you still find it perfect once you are in..." she added by letting one of her famous "orange-balls" escape into the water, which one quickly fulfilled its function, wetting Bobby from head to foot.

"Tabitha!!" Exclaimed Storm, the scene hadn't escaped her and who cut short the laughs of Magma, Tabitha and Kurt.

Fortunately, nobody human (except theirs new friends) seemed to have noticed the abnormality of the event, the detonation having been muffled by the wave which broke at the same time, and after all, a stone -- well, we'll say a big one -- thrown in the water could have produced the same effect.

Bobby found himself not less, we like to think so, the ass in the water and him, had any doubt as for the cause of this situation: Boom-Boom. Good loser, but not wishing to let her get off lightly on this count, he rubbed his hands by advance and...

"Don't even think about that Bobby!" Scott prevented him.

"Hey! But here is a self-defence case! There isn't a prescription?"

"Certainly not Iceman," repeated Cyclops in a serious tone, his ruby-quartz sunglasses reflecting the sunlight. "Settle it like you want but without infringing the rules which we've summarized lately."

"Ok..." he reluctantly accepted.

Scott glanced a last time toward him to be sure he had understood, and joined Jean in the sea.

Bobby sighed with frustration before using the good old method: the complete watering with arm's and leg's tapping, sparing no one of his friends. The situation rapidly turned in a raged battle of splashes before settling down, leaving five mutants dripping but satisfied with this broaching of subject worthy of their reputation.

***

On Scott and Jean’s side, the word 'relaxation' had an-other meaning. However, like it already had been the case on the beach, some bathers scowled at them -- all the more so as that the young couple was showing fondness towards each other -- and withdrew from them by muttering indecipherable words but easily deducible. Both of them were affected by this behaviour but they took care not to show it in order not to do this kind of people a favour. They satisfied themselves to ignore them courteously, shared an accomplice smile and began to swim into the open sea.

Apparently, despite all theirs efforts, the X-Men had failed in their objective to spend one day in the anonymity, behaving 'normally', thought Scott...But, after all, would he really want to be 'normal' himself ? If this was to say be as intolerant and disrespectful than the people that they were passing continuously since their secret had been revealed, no thanks! Somewhere, even if he'll never be able to control his gift and will be obliged to continuously wear these shades which standardized all the colours in a red gradation symphony, he was proud to be a mutant.

If we hadn't had both of them, we wouldn't have met, said a soft and familiar voice in his mind.

Jean has stopped swimming and was surprised to find that she could stand, a sand bank having had the fortunate idea to form some 30 meters out from the beach. When Scott reached the sand bank, he stopped swimming and joined her.

It's not nice to spy, he pretended to be reproachful.

It was open, she answered, smiling.

"I was projecting?" guessed Scott at loud voice.

"Yeah, the bond we share had since a long time told me that you were preoccupied; You just gave me some details in addition," she answered before adding with a smile. "You know, even if we don't go unnoticed like we'd have wanted, we're together, and to me that's the most important."

Scott smiled and took her in his arms.

"Yeah, that's the most important," he approved in a soft voice before brushing away one red locks behind the young woman's ear. "I dunno what I'd have became without you Jean, you know?"

He lightly pressed his lips against hers in a kiss to which the telepath didn't wait to answer, slipping her arms around his neck. They let the waves caress their back, all the scornful remarks which could have been meant for them thus far disappeared, all the worry evaporated. When they were kissing, all became so much peaceful and easy, the particular bond which linked them allowed them to share their feelings. During these so tender moments, nothing mattered but the wish to extend its the longest possible.

***

On the shore, Bryan and Samantha were keeping an eye on their little daughter as the mutant's group was vying in ingenuity for taking advantage of their bath without for all that using their powers. Sara has just left the water, leaving Ororo and Maria chatting together. The young woman, walking near a family passing on the beach by looking in the direction of the students of the Xavier's institute, heard some snatches of conversation. The accumulation of the words 'freaks', 'public place', 'free and easy' ended to make her fly off the handle and, instead of ignoring them like her sister and her friends did, she couldn't help but snap at them.

"Well really! What does it matter to you??!! You treat them of freaks but meanwhile they aren't the one to insult and be disrespectful to you!!!!"

"Are you one of them?" asked a robust man.

"No, I'm a human, having said that, my sister is a mutant and do you know what? I'm proud of it! But I'm ashamed to see how our kind are treating them!" Raised Sara before going her way, leaving her 'victims' disconcerted, to join Bryan and Samantha.

"That's better?" asked the young man grabbing a towel to dry his daughter now that he and Sam were back at their location.

"No!" answered the mother-to-be before admitting "...yes it's unwinding. But I can't believe that they undergo that everyday, I don't know how they can bear it."

"That's unfortunate to say," declared Samantha, "but the human beings -- and particularly the ones who think they belong to what they call 'civilized people' -- have always exerted discrimination under one form or another. At an epoch it was the Negro race, then, the Jewish and the handicapped, then the homosexuals, and now the mutants. I fear that all we can do against that it's to teach the tolerance and the equality to our children."

"We should..."

But Sara, seeing some of the mutants coming back, cut in and decided to shut the conversation to not spoil their pleasure.

chap 5

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