「 The Professor & I 」VOLUME II

(249) Fearless

Lynn's POV

After several rounds of excessive fretting combatted with a ton of repetitive reassurances, the young teachers were eventually convinced that I was no longer indisposed upon proper intake of my medications, allowing Charles and I to leave the museum independently.

As Jubilee and gang responsibly rounded up the students, curbing our pesky little ones from mindlessly touching any of the frozen humans and gathered them onto the catered school bus, Charles and I smoothly proceeded back to the car.

"I'm good, Charles. You can get in," I beckoned courteously after I tediously stowed the last of my chair into the back.

Yet, he simply stared at me with a face ironically bleeding empathy and trouble, emitting a pure aura of vexation screaming to be heard. His speechless mode was unnerving to say the least, and my brows furrowed into a tight knit as I suspiciously studied his awkwardly silent phase until he decided to wheel over, stationing himself directly before me.

"Listen, Lynn," Charles accented softly, cupping my hands in his.

"I don't mean to disappoint you, but I doubt we'll get the chance to drive aimlessly today," Charles claimed in a rather depressed tone, hanging his head low, but his thoughtful concern only induced a contrastingly contented smile on my face, delightfully enlightened by how seriously he had taken my trivial request, and I chuckled briefly in relief.

"Don't worry about it, Charles," I coaxed jovially, caressing his fair cheek as I slowly guided his gaze back to mine.

"We have more important issues on our hands. I understand," I reiterated politely, flashing him a compassionate smile.

"I swear, making you happy is just as important as that," Charles lamented, unceasing waves of remorse and tenderness surging from the blue of his eyes, as he skimmed his fingers through my blonde fringe.

"I promise you a raincheck, alright?" Charles asserted kindly and I gladly nodded.

"C'mon, we should go. You need to get to Cerebro," I urged cordially, pecking him lovingly on the lips and he finally smiled, shutting the door as he propelled himself around the front.

Elegantly loading himself and the various disassembled components into the coupe, Charles swiftly reversed out of the parking lot and released the human minds as we journeyed onto the main road. Surprisingly, as with the fine weather that was still holding out, the lunch time traffic emerged benign like before, granting us a fluent ride back to the mansion and we arrived just shortly before the children.

"You go ahead, Charles," I egged, mustering a determined tone, counting on it to mask my true reluctance to separate from him as I registered the characteristic clicking of Jean's heels echoing with progressive clarity within the polished walls of the basement.

"Don't you want to join me?" Charles probed invitingly as we paused before the sealed entrance of Cerebro and I scrutinized his mildly crafty expression curiously with Jean quickly approaching from behind.

"I should get you cleaned, Lynn," Jean specified hurriedly as she crouched down with an anxious face, but halfway through her visual examination of the burnt skin, she peered up with a friendly smile.

"But the first aid seems quite well done. I think we can afford to wait if you want," Jean willingly offered.

Staring at her in amusement, I nodded enthusiastically, not resisting the urge to laugh, yet she promptly complied. Strutting off into the distance, Jean made herself scarce from the scene while Charles and I grinned at each other with ridiculously silly expressions plastered to our faces.