I don't need therapy

Whatever argument he might've had dies in his throat when the boy talks about making out, though.

"That's--!"

It's almost like Scott hadn't just had to save Will from an out of control train. Granted, emergency services had cleared all the passengers for leaving almost twenty minutes ago now, and he and Will have been in this bus for two. One would think that the X-Men coming to save the day would end with more aplomb, but in the end everyone has to leave eventually.

Scott had forgone the offer to fly back to the mansion with Warren when he'd noticed Will was one of the passengers in the train, and he tells himself now it was for concern rather than kissing. He's taking Will to his foster home because he'd gone through something traumatic, not to score-- how could he score anything wearing the yellow spandex, anyway?

"That's..." God damn it. "My face is fine, Will."

His face is warming up. Scott had agonised over whether Will was thinking about when they'd kissed in the library last Friday all freaking weekend, and now his thoughts are barrelling right back in there. Some superhero.

"It's the visor you can't touch. And you can't touch my sunglasses, either."

The smile doesn't leave his lips, even as he leans in so he's invading the mutant's space. His arm presses against Scott's and his pinky wanders a bit against the back of the gloved hand.

Who fucking told Scott to dress like this? The bald guy is actually insane for this costuming.

"What about your hair? I mean, it's so nice and all. I'd love to run my fingers through it," he coos lowly enough that only the other- and anyone really trying to listen to their conversation- can hear. The tip of his tongue peaks out to moisten his own lips before he pulls the lower petal between his teeth.

"You know, if you're free tonight, I'd love to practice the whole hands thing. Gotta train if I'm gonna make sure I don't accidentally touch what I shouldn't."

His heart clenches in his chest as he awaits Scott's answer. It's not a feeling he's used to, but one that's been happening the more he spends time with the mutant boy. It's weird, holding his breath to see if someone wants to be around him. But fuck does he want to spend time with him. Hell, even if it's just watching a movie Will has fun with him.

And if a slight anger boils in his gut when he sees the way the redhead looks at Scott, that's no one's business but his own.

There's no malice or judgement in his tone. There's not even pity in his words so much as there is concern.

Thoughtlessly, his fingers raise up and delicately graze the fingertips against the edge of the metal. If Will's overstepping, it's because he's not thinking about boundaries in any way so much as he is about the mutant before him. While he himself isn't a mutant, he's grown an appreciation for their situation.

@willcunting, unprompted.

Scott flinches, hand reaching up to grip Will's wrist hard. He doesn't mean to, and he regrets it as soon as it happens, but Will's fingers signify danger. It's not kindness, and it's not intimacy-- it's one wrong move and Scott's blasting his fucking head off, and he doesn't have any contingency plans for that.

(None that won't make him want to jump off a bridge, anyway.)

"Don't..." He hesitates. Will is one of the few people at school that's nice to him even after knowing what he is, and the last thing he wants to do is ruin that.

Scott releases his wrist, head immediately dipping in shame. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean... if this comes off, Will, I could kill you."

Just thinking about it makes him feel sick.

But it never comes.

Despite the fact it shouldn't surprise Will that Scott doesn't hurt him- releases him, even- it does.

It takes him several beats longer than it should to calm down when he's let go of, but when he finally does, he folds his arms over his chest, almost scoffing as the mutant makes his concern known.