Ms. Orbachs Office (open)

[Lee]

Terry had been sifting through her files for the past 3 days. Hank was busy in his lab working on something, and Terry had been to busy to check on him. The files in question were those of the students and teachers. Most of them simply included mental evaluations and records, which isn't why Terry was looking through them at this moment. She was currently stuck putting them in alphabetical order. All student currently enrolled, or that Charles was just keeping an eye on, all teachers and possible affiliates with the school. There was a lot to go through.

The front door was open, as was the window behind Terry, allowing for a lovely cross breeze to roll through, carrying with it the scent of cherry blossoms from Terry's candles. Her CD player was playing a mix of Celtic songs, Broadway songs and Aerosmith. Terry's door remained open most of the time, should a student or teacher need assistance, advice or just a lesson in music. Terry was humming along with "Little Girls" from Annie, not loudly, but enough that if one were to walk by the office, they could hear her.

[vampyremelayah]

Hank stretched. It was good to be out of the lab again; he had been asked to run diagnostics on the new Danger Room simulation which still had more than a few bugs in it, and had ended up losing track of time. Not that he was ever very good at keeping track of it, actually. He strolled down the hallway, intent on going to the kitchen for a cup of coffee and a twinkie, almost running into one of the students that had come careening around the corner.

Leslie danced to the side just in time to avoid planting her face into the large, furry expanse of Mr. McCoy's chest. Her cheeks flushed and she had to smooth her hair down out of her face. "Um, Mr. McCoy," she began somewhat timidly, never actually having much interactions with the science professor, "I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions. We've got to do a report, see, and I wasn't sure about a few things. It seems like you're on your way out though, so when could I come back and talk to you?"

Hank wasn't entirely sure he caught all that - the words tumbled out of the girl's mouth in such a rush. It was clear that she was flustered, but he couldn't think of a reason why. Unless it had something to do with his appearance. He noticed that she had averted her eyes when he looked down at her. No, it's probably nothing. He glanced down at his watch, noting the time. "How about you come down to the lab in about 3 hours, and I'll do my best to help you, er..." He hadn't actually caught the girl's name; after all, she was relatively new.

"Oh," the girl perked up, offering Hank her tiny hand, "I'm Leslie. And that sounds awesome. Thank you, Mr. McCoy!" And without waiting for a response, she raced off down the corridor. Hank shook his head in bemusement. Continuing on his quest for coffee, which (to tell the truth) he wasn't sure he wanted anymore, he caught the sweet sound of someone singing. Hank's ears pricked and he realized that it was Terry's voice.

Immediately the blood rushed to his head and he felt woozy. Terry had a way of doing that to him, and he wasn't even in front of her! This was an opportune moment however, and he approached her office with a smile on his face. He peered in before knocking, noticing that she was quite intently messing with her files. "Terry? Might I join you?"

[Lee]

"Terry? Might I join you?"

Terry jumped at his voice, her head shooting upward to face him. She had been so intently reading her files that his sudden appearance and interrupting her humming had quickened her heartbeat more than she thought he could. "Hank...I-I...of course." she said, he face cleared flustered that she had been so startled by him. She quickly got her files into a neat pile, stuffing them into their proper desk drawer.

She made her way around her desk, sitting on it crossed legged the low-cut top and skirt showing more skin than most would see as appropriate (mostly because this particular skirt seemed to have a mind of its own and preferred her thighs to her knees). Terry would regularly force the skirt back to it's proper place, only for it to return to her thighs. "How is everything going for you?" she asked in reference to his work in the lab with a smile on her face as she turned down the volume on her CD player via remote control.

[vampyremelayah]

"Hank...I-I...of course."

Hank couldn't contain the smirk that spread across his lips at her flustered remark. In an attempt to cover it up, he coughed, readjusting his glasses afterwards. Only to need to do so again a moment later when Terry's beautifully curved body relocated itself onto her desk, showing more of her skin than Hank had ever seen. He wanted nothing more than to run his hands down the length of her legs, to feel its soft, porcelain skin beneath his fingertips... What was there to stop him? He had been courting Terry for a little over two months by now, but they had never made a move to make it official. It was blatant that they cared about one another, but then again, also quite clear that they were both rather shy.

"How is everything going for you?"

Taking a chance, Hank took in a deep, shaky breath. "I'm having quite a problem, actually. You see, Terry, there's this girl," his hand ran itself through his hair, accidentally loosening a few more of the dark-blue strands from his pony tail, "and she's just... Oh, you can't imagine how she makes me feel!" He took a tentative step forward, spreading out his huge hands in an expansive gesture. "She's sweet, and beautiful, and intelligent. She 's caring, and exciting. She - she doesn't even seem bothered by my monstrous appearance!"

By now, he was sure that, even though his cheeks were covered with a light fur, they were flushed. Or at least, a deeper blue or purple in color - he had never seen himself blush so he wasn't sure. "And I'm such a coward I haven't had the gall to tell her so." By now his hands were trembling slightly, his heart beating fast within his breast; it felt as if it could leap from his breast, or shatter into a thousand sparkling pieces. He wanted to tilt back his head and scream out into the world what he felt. He wanted to run - the whole expanse of the garden, of New York, the states - he didn't care! He was brimming with energy, all from the massive amounts of adrenaline pumping through his system, he was sure.

"Terry," he said in a very quiet voice, so very unlike how he had been speaking before. His eyes went down to her shoes, getting a very healthy portion of leg in the process, and he redirected them back to her sweet face wishing he hadn't looked down. It was making it more difficult for him to think, all the pheromones in the air, his uncooperative body... Hank was practically swooning. Was this the result of staying pent up in the lab for days on end? The result of sleep deprivation?

No.. it was more likely a lifetime's lack of mutual affection. And here he was, moments away from attaining it. Just tell her, Hank he scolded himself. It wasn't healthy to keep her waiting on a word like that. It wasn't healthy for him either. And he knew that the moment he said it the pressure would relieve itself. So why was it so difficult to speak?

"Terry, I.... I think...," he wet his lips, his breath coming in short, shallow breaths. Just do it, Hank! One.. Two.... Three! He went for the kill.

"I think I'm in love."

[Lee]

"I'm having quite a problem, actually."

At the sound that Hank was having a problem, Terry promptly got up and closed her office door, keeping all unwanted persons out of the session.


"You see, Terry, there's this girl,"

Terry smiled as the door clicked close, her cheeks pink from....well, Terry wasn't sure why her cheeks got pink in Hanks presence, but they did and his speech wasn't making the blush go away, if anything, they were growing to red.

"and she's just... Oh, you can't imagine how she makes me feel! "She's sweet, and beautiful, and intelligent. She 's caring, and exciting. She - she doesn't even seem bothered by my monstrous appearance!"

Terry took her seat back on top of her desk, legs crossed over just as before. She continued smiling, looking away at times to hide her blush, but her eyes always found their way back up to his. It was a feeling Terry very much enjoyed but at the same time, it terrified her. Getting this close to someone could only end in disaster. One person would leave the other, or worse, one might die. With Terry and Hank's "side jobs" with the X-men, they were constantly in danger. Terry had always made a point of not giving any signs to Hank that were too obvious of her feelings for him, hoping that it would keep him from falling quickly for her. After all, she was just a regular woman, nothing exceedingly special. Someone like him falling for someone like her quickly was unlikely, at least in Terry's mind.

"Terry.

Terry's head shot back up to Hank, a smile reappearing on her face after it had almost slipped away in her thought.

Terry, I.... I think...,"

Terry looked slightly puzzled at Hank. Think? What could he be thinking, one minute he is praising her, the next he's serious if he were about to prop-. No. No, no, no, no NO! He could not be doing this, THIS is exactly what Terry didn't want. She didn't want to admit she was falling for him, she didn't want him to fall for her, at least not this quickly. All Terry could think was that he was about to make a move that she most certainly didn't want.

"I think I'm in love."

Terry's heart pained as she kept the sweet smile on her face. He said it, he practically said it flat out. Then again, with how much time they had been spending together, one would expect his feelings to come out. Maybe not in this flashy, romantic movie kind of way, but they would have eventually. Terry fought within herself, as to what she should respond. The bitter side of her wanted to push him away and say 'how can you know what love is when you've never felt it before.' at the same time a giddy, child-like side of her wanted to throw her arms around him and kiss him with a passion she had never felt before. Terry swallowed hard as she stood up, hugging Hank gently.

"Hank...I...I...." Terry bit her lip as she looked down and backed away from him. "I can't say that. I can't say it back." she said, shaking her head slightly, almost as if she was just trying to reassure herself. In Terry's case, 'can't' and 'won't' were two completely different things. Terry knew that eventually she could say those words to someone, and that her father would have it be at this moment but a darker side of Terry just wanted to push Hank away, curl into a ball and never wake up. Love was a wonderful emotion but to Terry, it was also deadly.

"Not yet." she whispered, looking away. Terry wanted to clasp her hands over her mouth for letting that slip, those little words that could give Hank even a glimmer of hope that she would say it soon.

[vampyremelayah]

Hank was well aware of her reactions throughout his confession. His heart had quickened at the further reddening of her cheek, and his breath nearly caught in his throat every time she sneaked a glance at him. Everything was going swimmingly, and for once in his lifetime, he could see himself actually 'getting the girl'.

But then things went wrong. Dreadfully wrong. As soon as the words "I think I'm in love" slipped from his lips, Hank nearly wished he hadn't said it. Yes, she kept her smile - and a very convincing one it was. But there was something in her eyes, something years of hurting himself had taught Hank to be aware of. It was a slight change of the brow, or perhaps, a dullness in their sparkling beauty. Hank was abashed, and nearly took a step back before Terry's arms enveloped him.

This wasn't how he expected it; not how he wanted it. He could have sworn she had the same affections, and now, more than ever, he doubted that. Had he just been projecting what he wanted onto Terry? Had he misinterpreted any or all of their interactions together? The warm feeling that had coursed through him moments ago was replaced by distinctly cold sensation - it began as a hard lump in his stomach and branched off into each of his extremities, biting in its frostiness. He looked down to meet Terry's eyes, confusion in his own bright blue.

"Hank...I...I...." Terry bit her lip as she looked down and backed away from him. "I can't say that. I can't say it back."

Hank nearly lost it when she backed away from him. His throat constricted and, once again, he found himself standing on his front door step being pelted with eggs just because he thought he actually had a chance at taking the girl he liked to the Prom. For a moment, all of his movements became listless, and he could neither think nor speak.

In a very, very quiet voice, Hank asked, "Can't?" He couldn't look at her - couldn't let her see the pain in his eyes. Not that it wasn't already blatantly apparent.

"Not yet."

He looked up at her then, a desperate hope in his eyes. Perhaps he had moved too soon? "Terry, I'm so sorry," he whispered, backing away toward the door. He had made a mess of things and, worse, a fool of himself. "I've spent too much time in literature..." he couldn't say the last part out loud - to think that I could actually know love... "Do forgive me," he added in formality, nodding his head at her and turning to leave.

[Lee]

"Can't?"

For a brief moment, Terry wanted to correct his question. Can't and won't are two very different things. She could easily say it and not have it mean anything, but she won't say it now, knowing the implications such words could have on both her and Hank.

"Terry, I'm so sorry. I've spent too much time in literature...do forgive me."

Terry winced at his words, tears filling her eyes. It wasn't his fault but Hank felt the need to take responsibility. That he had moved too soon or something like that. Terry sniffled, hiding it as best she could as she stared at her feet on the floor. Should she try and keep him there? Should she send him back to dwell on his thoughts? Knowing his mental health as is, there was no telling what he could or WOULD do to himself. Being the only psychiatrist in the mansion, Terry was SURE of what he was capable of doing to himself. Her meek voice raised itself slightly, so as that she was talking barely above a whisper. "Hank wait." she said with a sigh, as if she would start crying at any second. "It's just...it's me, okay? I'm..." Terry knew her choice of words might hurt Hank or make him feel somewhat better. There was no telling. "I'm more of a monster than you...than you might think." she stuttered, obviously holding back the sobs.

Terry thought herself a horrible person for hurting Hank in such a way. "I've got my own issues I need to work out." she added, turning away from him and looking through her window, the tears finally rolling down her eyes. "It's me and my own problems. You didn't do anything wrong. It's me, not you." she whispered the last part, crossing her arms and covering her mouth to keep from sobbing. She wasn't sure if Hank had even stayed to hear her out, hopefully he did. Hopefully, he wouldn't take it so hard and hopefully, Terry could get over her emotional issues soon, or she might lose Hank for good.

[vampyremelayah]

"Hank wait. It's just...it's me, okay? I'm... I'm more of a monster than you...than you might think."

Hank turned, his hand frozen mid-air as he reached for the door knob, a deep sorrow in his eyes. Although his emotional state was probably very akin to Terry's, his eyes danced on the verge of tears while hers seemed to be overflowing with them. How could she think she was a monster? Especially after all the acceptance and compassion she had shown him. The fact that he was not the problem seemed to ease his mind slightly, but it still unnerved him - it meant that she viewed herself as the problem. But what could possibly keep her from saying her affections? Perhaps the most basic of all human instincts: fear.

"I've got my own issues I need to work out. It's me and my own problems. You didn't do anything wrong. It's me, not you."

Hank swallowed, the lump in his throat worsening. By now he could feel his own tears running down his cheeks, dampening the fur there. He could tell that she was crying - if not by the way her shoulders twitched, then by the tiny, barely audible breaths of air she took to try and cover up her sobs. He hadn't meant for this to happen. If he had known, he would have kept his mouth shut.

Stepping towards her, he put one large hand on her shoulder and gently rotated her towards him. "Gabriel Garcia Marquez is famous for quoting, 'Nobody deserves your tears, but whoever deserves them will not make you cry.' Please, Terry," he slid his hand from her shoulder up to her cheek wiping away the fallen tears with his large thumb, "don't cry. I never meant to make you cry." His voice cracked slightly at the last part, the pain in his throat worsening. Hot tears flowed forth from his eyes, as he brought his other hand up to cup her face. He felt like he should say something else, but there was nothing he could think to say. Surely not what had started this mess... Instead he opted for caressing her cheeks with his thumbs, closing his eyes to avoid seeing her reaction to his own tears.

[Lee]

"Please, Terry, don't cry. I never meant to make you cry."

Terry sniffled, still trying to keep tears from flowing, though fighitng the tears only made them come quicker. Terry sighed as his hand cupped her cheek. He cared for her, truly and deeply, as did she for him, but admitting that was one of the hardest things for her to do. Hank of course, longed for affection seeing as it had been stripped away from him since childhood. It was a human thing to want affection and love, a feeling even Terry couldn't escape, but she knew that with that feeling came the immense danger of having it ripped away. Whether by death or a person, love can easily be shattered.

"Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all" was a quote that many people had said to Terry, but it never rang even NEAR true for her till this moment. She could be with Hank, her and only her would be able to hold him close and call him hers. But then she'd lose him, one way or another, she would. If she had never fallen for him, then she wouldn't be in this mess. She let it get this far and now it seemed that the only way out of it was to hurt Hank, which was the last thing she wanted to do. Maybe she just needed to think about it, logically. Logic was never with Terry when Hank was around, he made her feel like a giggly high schooler again. Her hand come up to reach his, pulling it down from her face to hold it in both her hands.

"Hank..." she started, still not able to look him in the eye. "I need some alone time..." she mumbled between sniffling, her inhale staggered with gasps. "I just...I'm...I need alone time." she almost was able to say it, how scared she was, the fear that kept her awake at night. But admitting that was difficult for Terry. She felt horrible about herself now, she was a selfish person, thinking only of her feelings, how could he possibly want to be with her?

[vampyremelayah]

Hank looked up momentarily to see Terry removing his hands from her face. He swallowed again, the pain in his throat lessened because it had leaked out onto his cheeks; with a heavy heart he listened to her words.

"I just...I'm...I need alone time."

He nodded, numb, and gave her hands a little squeeze. It was too much to say anything else, and he had no right to pry into what would have followed her phrase of 'I'm'. He removed his glasses so that he could wipe his eyes, and sighed. He couldn't speak - to do so would betray the very emotions he was trying to keep within himself. He couldn't meet her eyes either, but by then he supposed it didn't matter. He walked towards the door, pausing at it for just a moment. Should he apologize for doing this to her? Should he say anything else? But what could he possibly say to her. "You know where to find me"? No - she probably didn't want to see him again, let alone go down to the lab... Gently, he turned the knob and in a moment, his blue-furred form was gone.
[exit Hank]