Reindeer Games
"This song is stupid," Scott says. "The point of the story is that if you're useful, everybody who was mean to you will pretend to like you? Some holiday message." He has his feet propped up on the arm of the sofa, and is scowling.
"I think the point is that sometimes it takes people a while to recognize other people's hidden qualities," Jean says.
Scott gives her a look. "You think, or you think Professor Xavier thinks you should think?"
"I've never actually asked the Professor what he thinks about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," Jean says.
"Maybe you should sometime."
"I think you're overthinking this," Jean says. "Have some cocoa."
"I don't really like cocoa," Scott says.
Jean shakes her head. "That's just not normal."
Scott leans back on the sofa. "Yes, I am a non-cocoa drinking freak." The radio has moved on from Rudolph and is now playing Jingle Bells with much shaking of sleigh bells and blaring of brass. Jean feels that she is the only one making an effort at holiday spirit, here.
"Ororo likes cocoa," Jean says.
"Why do I have to drink cocoa?"
"You don't," Jean says. The remains of the cocoa are probably getting cold on the stove. She wonders what Professor Xavier is doing in the city. She wanted to go with him, but she could tell that it was important to him to spend an afternoon on his own, seeing people who are his actual friends and not his responsibilities.
Jean wonders what it's like to have friends who aren't your responsibility. She's aware that's not a good thought, so she drains the rest of her own cocoa and flicks at the volume knob of the radio across the room, turning the holiday music up louder.
"Cool," Scott says.
"I thought you weren't in the mood for Christmas carols," Jean says.
"I just have a thing about Rudolph, okay?" Scott says. "I think it's stupid to pretend that someday we're going to save the day and then everybody's going to love us."
"You are identifying with a reindeer," Jean points out.
"It's important."
Jean considers Scott, who is lying on the sofa trying to make a serious point about reindeer. His hair is sticking up where he's been lying on it, and he has a hole in one of his socks. It will bother him if she points that out, despite the fact that he has other socks upstairs. She's not sure whether she knows him too well to love him or too well not to.
"Maybe that's just how they put it for the song," Jean says.
"You mean, like, in the actual true story ... "
"Santa told the other reindeer they'd better get a grip about the whole red nose thing if they wanted to stay employed," Jean says. "There must be lots of reindeer who'd love a job where they only have to work one day a year, right?"
Scott looks for a moment like he's going to point out that Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is fictional, but she thinks he thinks that will undermine his own point. "Well, that's a little better," Scott says. "But would he care if he didn't need Rudolph to be Mr. Headlight?"
"He's Santa Claus," Jean says. "I think Santa Claus is fair by definition."
"You've got to be kidding," Scott says. "You do know not everybody gets a whole toy store for Christmas when they're a kid, don't you?"
Jean isn't sure which part of that to address. "We're still kids," she says, since that's the easiest part.
"Sure," Scott says. "And this is all about Santa Claus, right?"
"You're still identifying with the reindeer."
"Yes, freak. We already agreed about that."
Jean wishes Ororo would emerge from wherever she's retreated. She would at least be a buffer between herself and Scott's feelings about Christmas, prejudice, and her. It's enough to make her head hurt. Still, she resists the urge to run away herself.
"I like freaks," Jean says instead. She thinks she gets extra credit for that being something Professor Xavier would not like for her to say. "And I agree that the reindeer were jerks."
Scott smiles at her crookedly. "You should be in charge," he says. "Santa doesn't have a really good track record as far as I'm concerned."
"I think I'll pass," Jean says lightly. "The whole naughty and nice thing seems like a lot to keep track of."
"Well, telepathy would help," Scott says. "Maybe Professor Xavier's up for it."
"You should ask him," Jean says. "Make sure to suggest he wear the red hat."
Scott smiles, and then looks down at her seriously. "I'm trying, here," he says. "I can be kind of a jerk about the Christmas thing." He doesn't say any more, and she knows he doesn't have words for everything unfair about the Christmases since his parents died.
"No, you're right," Jean says. "It's important to think about what messages we're absorbing from pop culture."
"You're channeling the professor again," Scott says.
"I can't help it," Jean says, and for a moment she's afraid. It's so easy for her to slip into someone else's speech patterns, someone else's thoughts. It's the scary thing about knowing anyone too well.
"I know," Scott says, and he takes her hand. His hand is very warm on hers, like an anchor to what's real. He smiles. "I like freaks, too."
"So can I get you some cocoa now?" she asks, wondering how long they can stay like this before it gets awkward.
"Don't push your luck," he says, but he doesn't let go.