Work Text:
“How do I tell someone they’re gay?”
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Peter turned his chair around to look at Jean, pure confusion written on his face.
“Excuse me!?”
“Okay look,” Jean collapsed over the arm of the couch, “There’s this kid at Xavier’s, Bobby right? And whenever I’m near him there’s like a seventy percent chance that I’ll be subject to like… the gayest thoughts I have ever listened in on.”
“Can’t you just not listen in on his thoughts?” Peter asked.
“That’s not how it works, and you know that. If I spent all my time focusing on silencing his thoughts I’d miss half of what’s actually being taught. So instead I have to listen to the little whispers in the back of his head about how big Hank’s muscles are and how handsome Warren is and,” Jean rubbed her face. “Like they aren’t surface thoughts, I can’t even tell if he knows he’s really thinking them. But I can hear them and normally I’d be able to just tune them out, but I’m pretty sure Bobby has a girlfriend and I’ve never listened in on him daydreaming about having a makeout session with her, but…”
Jean looked up from her hands at Peter.
“Yeah, I get it. Makeout sessions with the other- I get it.”
“Yeah… and I just… I don’t know…” Jean mumbled, “My powers evolved and suddenly I can’t just stop listening in. I’m getting better, but if I think even for a second that I want to know something about someone my brain just takes it and it doesn’t feel good to know. I just thought… maybe I could try and… help him?”
Peter was quiet for a moment, tapping his foot as he thought. Eventually he set his mask down on his desk and rolled his chair over to Jean.
“Okay, first of all you aren’t going to tell him he’s gay.”
“But-”
“You haven't deep dived into his brain, right?”
After a moment Jean shook her head.
“Okay, so you don’t know know if he’s gay. He could be bi, or pan, or maybe he’s just curious.” Peter explained. “I’m not exactly an expert on this, but I think that at most you should maybe tell him you accidentally heard some private thoughts and that you’ll keep it secret if he wants to. And also that you’re there for him if he ever wants to talk about it.”
Peter leaned down to meet Jean’s eyes.
“But you’ve gotta let him take the lead on this, alright?” Pete stressed, “You wouldn’t like it if someone told everyone you couldn’t stop yourself from listening to their thoughts, right?”
“...‘s not exactly the same thing.” Peter raised an eyebrow at her, “No, I wouldn’t… wouldn’t want someone knowing that without permission…”
“Right. This isn’t really something to fix Jean, just something he has to… work through. And you can be there for him and support him, but you can’t take control from him on this, alright?” Peter leaned back in his chair to let Jean sit on that for a moment… until another thought popped into his head, “Okay, it’s not a problem to fix unless he’s- He’s not like hurting himself or something like that, right?”
“No…” Jean said, the hint of a laugh on her breath, “Mostly just seems oblivious to it.”
“Alright. Good.” Peter reached over to pat Jean’s arm, “You don’t always need to be the big hero to help someone, alright? Sometimes just being there to support is more than enough.”
Jean smiled and nodded, and Peter took that as his sign to roll back to his desk and finish repairing his mask.
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“Oblivious, like with you and MJ.”
“Jean.”
“I’m just saying she broke up with her boyfriend, and you two have hung out like, at least once every week.”
“Friends hang out!”
“Then why doesn’t she invite Ned to all those restaurants, and movies, and weird underground concerts.”
“She just- I don’t know, maybe Ned was busy or didn’t want to go.”
“Okay, y’know how you said it’s only a problem if Bobby was hurting himself. Maybe you don’t think you’re hurting yourself by being an idiot, but you're at the very least hurting me, alright? This is painful to watch. I don't even need to listen in on her thoughts to know she thinks you're dating.”
“Jean!”