A Bird Named Gerard
SpencerRemyLvr and IntoTheWilds… this is for you. And THANKS to you. Damn you both…
Spencer x Remy x Logan
EARLY MORNING, UPSTATE NEW YORK
Normally, the old but well maintained mansion would already be a hive of activity. Children and adults alike would be preparing for the day. Kids would be getting breakfast, dressing, brushing their teeth, some scrambling to finish homework at the last minute. Adults would be preparing for the day whether it was to teach their classes, or dressing out for what passed as a morning workout at the Xavier Institute for the Gifted.
But today was a Saturday. The one day of the week when all were permitted to sleep in. There were no classes to teach or attend. No jobs to go to, no workouts to power through. This was the one day when everyone just… rested.
In a room on the third floor, at the farthest end of the hall, one person had awoken and was enjoying the peace of the morning. Spencer Reid, visiting for the weekend, sat curled up in an armchair in the corner, his back to the open window that was allowing the morning breeze and the light of the rising sun into the room, casting its brilliance over the pages of the book in the young man's hands. But his eyes weren't on the book. They were on the two men in the large bed before him. The men he had come to visit.
Reid smiled slightly, watching the pair sleep on and enjoying just being able to sit in the quiet and watch them, study them. It was a bit hard to do when they pair were awake. They were loud, boisterous, and the taller of the two was never still. Reid didn't think he knew HOW to be still. Even if he was, he almost seemed to vibrate with pent up energy. It was quite endearing, seeing the exuberance of a child in a man his age. The other was just rough, gruff and presented himself as a walking neon sign of "I am male, hear me roar". And if you annoyed him enough (as the other tended to do), he would…
The pair were constantly bickering, and while Reid enjoyed witnessing the events that the pair constantly staged, he couldn't help but bask in the moment of them being still, quiet, peaceful. But nothing lasts forever. He watched as the shorter, more powerfully built of the pair finally stirred. Resting up close to the taller man, the one who was waking seemed to sniff about from his place with his head pressed against the chest of the other. He grumbled and then a lazy hand reached back and groped around. When it found nothing, the man slowly lifted his head and cast his gaze around the room, finally falling on the young man curled up in the chair.
Reid smiled, "morning, Logan." He murmured. The man blinked his blue eyes sleepily, then sighed and let his head drop down to the bed again. He was still for a moment, then sucked in a deep breath and rolled away from the third, arching his back, stretching his limbs, and giving a great groan as joints cracked and popped pleasantly. That tapered off into almost a low growl before finally going silent as the man sat up and rubbed his sleep crusted eyes.
"… Mornin'." Came the low rumble, and then the man stood and headed into the bathroom. When he did, the last one in the bed sighed and rolled his head to the side, and Reid knew that he had also awoken, and was watching Logan retreat into the bathroom.
"Nmh." Was all he said, before rolling over onto his chest and tugging a pillow closer, burying his face into the thing. Reid grinned at the mess of auburn hair that he was left staring at… at least until his eyes slowly moved down, following the line of the man's spine down his back, and to the soft beginnings of the swell of his buttocks… after that, the bed sheet got in the way.
"Morning, Remy." Reid called, and his grin widened at the muffled reply, which ended up sounding like a slowly, drawn out "… Munchy."
But then Remy lifted his head and they both turned when they heard snarling from in the bathroom, then a bang and more snarls. Reid frowned, and Remy let out a breath in semblance of a laugh, before burying his face back into the pillow and mumbling into it. Reid had no clue what he was saying. The shower started in the bathroom and Reid slowly uncurled, setting his book aside.
"You're not going to lie in bed all day, are you?"
"Soun' good t'me." Was the answer to Reid's question. "Specially if you gon' take off dem clothes an' join me? Have some fun, non?
"And what would you call those five hours last night?!"
"De Pre Game Show, cher!" Remy announced proudly, flopping over onto his back and grinning up at Reid.
A look of amused exasperation crossed Reid's face and he said "You are impossible, Remy LeBeau."
"Say de homme who won't come back t' bed wi' Remy…" Grumbled the elder of the pair, now glaring at Reid. "Why y' up? It's Saturday. Don' gotta be nowhere."
"It's time to get up." Reid said, as if that was the most obvious answer in the world.
"Ain't decent." Remy complained, dragging pillow down to cover the top half of his face, hiding his incredibly distinct eyes from the sunlight.
"And you're one to talk about what's 'decent'? After your suggestion for what we do this morning?"
"Oh, non, cher." Remy argued, and Reid frowned at the sly grin that crossed the Cajun's face. "I was t'inkin' dat would take up de whole day! Not jus' de mornin'!"
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Reid let his face fall into his hand with a groan, and he felt the bed beneath him shake with Remy's suppressed laughter.
"Incorrigible."
"Oui. Mais, y' a'ready knew dat, non?" And he nudged Reid's hip with his foot, laughing when his foot was smacked in response. Then he just started to poke the younger man with his big toe, saying "C'mon now… get undressed… come join Remy. We have a bit of fun b'foreWolvie get outta 'd shower. Nice view, 'dat." Reid grinned and kept smacking away Remy's foot, but the other man was not dissuaded.
"C'mon, now… Remy not feelin' d' love, petit."
"Or maybe," Reid countered, "Remy just doesn't want to admit that he can still 'feel the love' from last night, and CAN'T get up?" Reid felt a wicked grin cross his face as Remy abruptly pushed himself up on his elbow into a near sitting position, shoving the pillow away from his black and red eyes which were now fixing Reid with their burning gaze, shock in them. After Remy blinked at him, absorbing the fact that yes, Reid had actually said that, he allowed a lazy smirk to overcome his features.
"… Touché."
Reid grinned, and doing as he had seen Garcia do on a few occasions, he licked the tip of his index finger and mimed drawing a little tally mark in the air. "One, me." The shower in the bathroom turned off.
"Oh, so dat's how it's gonna be?" Remy asked, sitting up all the way and drawing in his long legs, crossing them at the ankles and bracing his elbows on his knees. "Well alrigh' den... mais we'll jus' see who—"
"SHUT UP!" Came the sudden roar from the bathroom, and another bang. Reid stared at the door, startled, and Remy was just grinning in what could only be construed as delight as low growls continued. And then a moment later, Logan emerged from the bathroom in a towel, scowling and bitching under his breath.
"Bonjour, Logan!" Remy called jovially, and Logan snapped "Shut up, Gumbo," and headed to the closet. Confused, Reid turned and looked at Remy, who was nearly giggling. But his response to Reid's questioning look was a kiss to his cheek and to trot his naked ass into the bathroom himself. And there, compounding Reid's confusion, he blurted "Bonjour, mon ami!" And then the door closed, but Remy continue to prattle on in French. Reid just stared at the door, bewildered. It sounded as though Remy was having a full, one sided conversation. Alone. In the bathroom. Not for the first time, Reid wondered if Remy was genuinely crazy…
He turned to Logan for an explanation. The man was zipping up his jeans and then settled in a chair by his boots, socks in hand. Reid was silently pleased that the man had yet to get on a shirt.
"So, um…" He began, and Logan looked up at him as he tugged on his socks. Reid fixed Logan with a puzzled expression and jabbed a thumb back over his shoulder, towards the bathroom door as the shower turned on. Logan looked at the door and tuned in on Remy's continued rambling, then scowled and let out a low snarl, now jamming his foot into his boot with a force that could almost be considered violent.
"There's this… Damn blue jay." He finally admitted. "That likes to sit on the windowsill and scream its head off whenever anyone is in the bathroom." Reid's eyebrows shot up. "It's damn awkward trying to take a piss with that fuckin' thing chattering away right next to you." Slowly, Reid felt a grin overtake his features and he snickered.
"I see. And you haven't killed it why?"
"… Because the damn Cajun likes the thing!" Logan spat, looking furious. "Named the bastard 'Gerard' and talks to him all the fuckin' time."
Only a moment later, Reid fell apart into hysterical laughter. "Oh my God, you're so CUTE!"
"… what?" Logan asked, caught off guard by this. 'Cute' was not a word he had ever heard used in reference to him.
"You let the bird alone because Remy likes it!"
"… I'm rethinking that decision." Logan growled, and Reid grinned up at him.
"Awwww… no, don't do that."
"I hate that thing!"
"But listen to how happy it makes Remy!" Reid pointed out as the shower turned off and Remy was still talking.
"What the hell does he say to that bird, anyway?" Logan asked, and Reid cocked his head and listened more closely. A grin slowly split his face, and then Remy emerged in a towel, running his hand through his disheveled hair, that he had obviously ruffled over with a towel to start drying it.
"Well?" Logan asked.
"Well what?" Remy blinked, then looked at Reid, who had a devious expression.
"Sounded to me like he was telling Gerard about your uh… performance abilities in bed." Reid choked out, biting back a laugh. Whatever Logan had been expecting, it wasn't that.
"Spencer…" Remy said in a low, drawn out tone. "Ain't polite t' translate private conversations."
"You're an asshole." Logan snorted and Remy just grinned, heading to his bedside table and grabbing the pack of cigarettes. "I am just counting down the weeks until that bird leaves."
"Uh, you know he's gonna come back, right?" Reid asked, and Logan fixed a look of horror on him.
"What?!"
"They remember where the food is. They come back to the source every year as long as it keeps producing."
"Food?"
"You didn't see?" Reid asked.
"Spencer…" Remy called, warningly.
But Reid just grinned and announced "the seed shells on the sill. Remy's been feeding him! And so now the bird knows where to go for food. That's why he's always there. And now he always will be. Not just him, but likely his offspring someday, too!"
Logan's expression turned murderous. "You mean… I'm gonna have to put up with that fuckin' bird every year?! GAMBIT!"
"Spencer, why y' goin' outta y' way to get ol' Remy in trouble?!" The Cajun whined.
"Payback's a bitch."
"Ain't nuthin' t' be paid back for, me!"
"Oh yeah? From the day I met you… shall I start listing?" Reid asked, smugly. Remy said nothing, and Reid grinned, licking his finger and making another tally mark in the air. "Two, me."
"… taisez vous." Remy muttered under his breath, scowling. Logan chuckled, watching as Remy just chuckled under his breath and opened the French doors onto the fifteen inch wide iron grate that served as their balcony, with ivy climbing over the rails. And then, in naught but his towel, he stepped out onto it and lit his cigarette, glancing over the grounds.
"Remy, please get dressed." Reid sighed, shaking his head, and Logan smirked. "This is a school."
"What if Remy don' want to?" The Cajun asked, only to hear a sharp gasp from below, followed by a sudden "Oh God! UHHG!" Starting slightly, Remy blinked and stepped back, looking down. Frowning, he peered down through the iron grate at two kids on the little balcony below, a boy and a girl, about sixteen, staring up at him. Or, more specifically, up his skirts and between his legs. Quirking a brow, he stepped back once more so that he was standing on the carpet, but he was leaning forward to keep staring at the kids.
"I do b'lieve," he said slowly in a low, serious tone, "dat dis side of de hall is for de boys, petit. And dat de girls are on de other side, non? An'… f'give ol' Gambit if he's wrong… but ain't dere rules about uh… crossin' over to t' other side, so t' speak?"
The girl just kept staring up at him, eyes wide, mouth ajar and face red. The boy beside her looked like he had swallowed a lemon, and was averting his gaze. But after a moment, he mumbled "well, you guys don't exactly follow that rule up there, huh?!"
"True 'dat." Remy said with a smirk and a shrug. "But up here, we all be adults. Consentin' adults. Down 'dere, you all be minors. Ain't no underage uh… shenanigans, allowed in 'dis house. So Gambit suggest 'dat your femme der, get back over t' 'er own room, oui? And you two keep 't y'own side of de hall, 'less Gambit report what y' been doin' to de Professor." The kids tensed. "O' Cyclops? O' Storm?" That made them wince, and the girl immediately bolted back inside with a quick "yessir!"
"An' you!" Remy barked at the boy. "Chill d' fuck out an' grow up. Nuthin y' haven't seen before, oui? Ain't like you don't got none. 'Less y' got somethin' y' need t' be tellin' us, homme?" And then Remy grinned as the boy turned red, muttered, and disappeared back inside, slamming the door behind him. Remy let out a wicked chuckle, and just stepped back outside again, raising the cigarette to his lips.
Grinning at the look of horror on Reid's face, Logan called out to Remy "Don't think Jeannie will be too pleased that you just scarred two of the students with your little indecent exposure, there."
"No worries, Wolvie. 'Dem kids'll keep quiet."
"What makes you say that?" Logan asked.
"Mutually assured destruction." Reid said. Logan blinked and looked at him, and Remy turned to face him as well, leaning against the railing of the balcony as he finished his cigarette, the towel sliding a bit lower on his hips.
"What?" Logan asked.
"A case in which both parties are at risk." Reid explained. "If they tell on Remy, they'll have to explain why they were out on the balcony together, when she wasn't allowed in the boy's room at all. They'll get in trouble, too."
"Aren't they worried that Remy will report them?" Logan asked.
"No." Reid said with a grin. "Because if Remy tells on them, they tell on him. If one goes down, they all go down. So out of self preservation, everyone keeps quiet."
"Exactement." Remy nodded with a sly grin. "Our Spence got it."
"Of course…" Reid drawled, an evil gleam in his eye that immediately put Remy on alert, "Logan could always tattle on everyone, and then just sit back and watch the fireworks." Remy's eyes widened in alarm as Logan slowly allowed a feral grin to cross his face.
"H-Hey now!" Remy blurted, fumbling and dropping his cigarette butt, which fell out of sight. "Don't you b' givin' him any ideas! He don' need y' help!"
"Oh, but I like this one." Logan rumbled.
"Especially after the whole thing with Gerard…" Reid continued, grinning.
"SPENCER!" Remy cried, and Logan rose to his feet with a wide, leering grin. Reid licked his finger, and made another tally mark.
"Three, me. Zero, Remy." He announced happily, and Remy leveled a disgusted look on him.
"I'm thinking coffee sounds good!" The Logan announced, looking at Reid. "Scott and Jean should be up by now, so it should be brewing!"
"What?!" Remy blurted, now looking alarmed as Logan headed for the door. "Wait! Wait wait wait!" Reid lept to his feet and scurried after Logan, fighting back his laughter as Remy lunged for a pair of pants, dropping his towel in the process. "Spencer! Logan! C'mon now! Fils de—OW!"
Reid let out an unmanly giggle as Remy loudly stubbed his toe as he hopped around tugging up his pants, and then a grinning Logan grabbed his hand and tugged him down the hall at a run, a desperate Remy giving chase.
"LOGAN! SPENCER! WAIT! MERDE! STOP Y' CONNA-"
"REMY LEBEAU, I HEARD THAT!" Ororo shouted from her room before flinging the door open and stepping out, forcing Remy to skid to a stop to keep from running her down. "This is a SCHOOL!"
"Oh, he's in it, now." Logan chuckled as he and Reid darted down the stairs and towards the kitchen, where curious faces were already appearing in the doorway at the commotion.
"We'll make it up to him later." Reid laughed.
"That we will, darlin'. But for now, let's just enjoy the show."
Just a taste of what is to come...