Found this on my notepad and thought, hmm, let's post this! :) Just a little R/S snippet!
Remy had tried to get himself into the Christmas cheer. He'd helped Jean and Ororo bake cookies, smiling and laughing as they got covered in flour and sprinkles. Somehow Jubilee managed to convince him to come out in the yard and build a snowman with her, though he hated the cold with a passion. After warming back up with some cocoa, he'd helped Bobby wrap the last of his gifts. Hell, he'd even gone and dragged Scotty out of his office and into the den where everyone was watching Christmas movies. Remy did everything that people would've expected from him on the holiday. But when no one was looking, when he thought no one could see, his happy expression would slip a little and an almost melancholy air would envelope him.
There were only two people in the house that knew the reason for his melancholy. In the years he'd been at the mansion, Remy had rarely ever spent all of Christmas at the Mansion. Even if only for a few hours, he'd always spent some time away around the holidays. But this year he hadn't gone anywhere. Logan and Ororo both knew that this was the source of Remy's 'funk', They both sought to try and draw him out of it in their own ways, even knowing it was a fruitless endeavor. For Remy, there was just one important thing missing, and the lack of it was enough to take some of the shine away from the holidays for him. Still, he did try to enjoy himself as best as he could. He wasn't going to ruin the holiday for others just because he was missing something he wanted.
He was in the kitchen with Jean, Ororo, Jubilee and Bobby, finishing pulling together the last of the Christmas Eve dinner that had been prepared. It was simple fare, designed to be finger food. Here at the Mansion, Christmas Eve had traditions of its own. Dinner would be made and taken to the TV room where they would sit down to eat, laugh, and watch Christmas movies. Then, once dinner was done, drinks were usually served and it was time for stories. Laughter would be shared, drinks would be poured, and games would be played. Bobby had been the one to implement the 'Christmas Games' back in the early days and it had stuck even as the house grew so that, by the time Remy came along, it was an established tradition that the Cajun had laughed to see.
Laying sandwiches on a platter, Remy tried not to think of the traditions he usually had around the holiday time. His smile slipped slightly as he thought of what he'd typically be doing. Or, more importantly, who he'd be doing it with. A hand on his arm had him snapping back to the present, eyes darting to the side to where Jean stood watching him with a look of concern on her face. "Are you okay, sweetie?" She asked him gently.
Off to the side, Bobby popped an olive in his mouth, dodging Ororo's swat. "Yeah, man. You look like someone kicked your favorite dog."
Out of the corner of his eye, Remy saw Logan slip into the room. The man went to the fridge and was pulling out a beer. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Remy winked at Jean. "Merde, someone been kickin' Wolvie? An dey're still alive?" He put a hand over his heart and pretended shock.
Laughter echoed around the kitchen when Logan spun around and Remy had to dodge to avoid a playful swipe of his claws. The Cajun hoisted up his tray of sandwiches and grinned as he scurried out of the kitchen before Logan could catch up with him. Bobby followed behind, the relish tray in his hands. Because of his hasty escape, Remy didn't see the sad look that briefly crossed Jean's face, or the way Ororo touched her friend's shoulder reassuringly.
As it should be, dinner was a noisy affair. There was so much joy and laughter that Remy found himself caught up in it. He let his shields down just enough to feel the happy emotions around him. These were moments he knew he would always treasure. There was so much love between everyone. Curled up into the corner of the couch, Remy discreetly watched the room, locking away these moments in his memories. Jean and Scott curled up together in one chair, the Fearless leader showing his more human side as he rarely did where others could see. He had his arms around Jean's waist and kept leaning in to whisper things to her that had her laughing and wearing an embarrassed yet pleased look that clearly told Remy what was being said to her. Charles, Bishop and Hank were sitting near one another, not even paying attention to the movie on the screen as they busily talked about something that Remy couldn't quite catch but obviously was something they were all passionate about.
Rogue, Bobby and Warren took up one of the other couches, a bowl of popcorn on Bobby's lap in the middle. They alternated between watching the movie and picking on one another. Even the ever serious Warren was grinning when Bobby tried to balance a piece of popcorn on his nose. Rogue snorted at them, yet she wore a smile too, and it warmed Remy's heart to see it. Just because they weren't together anymore didn't mean that he didn't want to see her happy. She deserved happiness. He watched how she sat on the couch, watched how close she let Bobby be to her without flinching, and he couldn't help but feel so damn proud of her for coming so far. He remembered when she would've flinched back from being that close to anyone out of fear of hurting them, no matter if she had gloves on or not.
Logan was sitting in a comfortable chair, legs stretched out in front of him and crossed at the ankles, a beer in his hand. Unsurprisingly, Jubilee was right by her surrogate father. She'd taken a seat on the floor and was leaned into him, resting her head against the outside of his thigh. Kitty was sprawled on the ground beside her, lying on her stomach to watch the movie.
Sound came by the door, announcing the return of Betsy and Ororo. The two women were laughing when they came in. Betsy moved over to join Warren, plopping down on his lap with a laugh, and Ororo came over to the couch where Remy was. She sat down by his feet and slipped her body into the curve behind his legs, her upper half lying over his hip to rest up on his side. He rested his arm on the back of the couch and indulged himself by letting his fingers reach down to play with strands of her hair. It was something he often did with her in the privacy of her room, not typically out where others could see. Out here she usually maintained her serene demeanor. In private, the little thief he'd once rescued tended to come to the forefront and she would show a humor and mischievousness that few got to see. No matter what, she would always be his little sister, his Stormy.
It was a good group he was a part of. A good family. It just wasn't…complete. There was one very important person missing. Remy bit back a sigh and tried to focus once more on the emotions around him to chase away the bluesy feeling he had on the inside. Ororo turned her head as if she sensed his shift in mood. Her eyes sought his out and in them he saw compassion and understanding mixed with the usual love there. She didn't try to offer excuses or empty platitudes, knowing that none of them would work for him. She simply said "I am sorry, brother."
For her, he could drum up a soft smile. Briefly he stroked his hand over her hair. "It's okay, petit. Don't y' worry bout Remy." He bent and pressed a kiss to her forehead in a familiar gesture that made her smile at him. "Je vais bien. No point complainin' bout t'ings dat can't be changed."
A sound cut through the chatter and the noise from the TV. At first Remy didn't place what it was. Not until Bobby hopped up off the couch and called out "I'll get it!" before racing from the room. Then Remy realized that the sound must've been the doorbell. He didn't really pay any attention to it beyond that. Not until he heard footsteps and conversation seemed to suddenly die off. Remy was just starting to turn when he heard Charles say "Hello. How can I help you?" Then he heard the very last thing he had ever expected; at the moment, the most beautiful sound in the world. A warm yet slightly shy voice that answered "I'm here to see Remy LeBeau."
Remy whipped his head around so fast he was lucky he didn't give himself whiplash. He couldn't believe what he saw. There, standing in the doorway looking like some snow covered blessing, stood the very person he had been aching all day to see. Shock had his mouth dropping open and his body frozen in place for one split second. He couldn't believe it. Was he really here? "Spencer?"
The man shifted and familiar brown eyes turned towards Remy, almost instantly warming when they locked on him. Spencer's face shone out from underneath his snow flecked hair and his smile was wide and bright. "There you are. Hey, Remy."
That was what finally broke the spell that seemed to have held Remy still. Hearing his name from those lips had his body unlocking and he was grateful Ororo had sat up because he practically launched over the back of the couch. In just a few short strides he closed the distance between them and then he was wrapping his arms around Spencer's waist and pulling him in close, mindless of the wet snow. Spencer let out a laugh and wrapped his arms around Remy's neck, holding on as the Cajun spun him in a fast circle before setting him down. They pulled back and Remy could only grin at Spencer's wide smile, his pink cheeks and his bright eyes. "I thought y' wasn't able to get away dis year! How'd y' get here?" He finally noticed the wet and pulled back even more, reaching to start unzipping Spencer's coat. "Here, gimme y'r coat. Dieu, y'r soaked through, cher!"
"It is snowing out there." Spencer pointed out to him. Still, he set down his bags and let Remy strip his coat away and then he started to pull off his gloves and his scarf, handing them to Remy who draped them over a chair against the wall. "And how do you think I got here? I flew. You would not believe the insanity that is the airport right now. I would've been here sooner but I had a random three hour layover in Nebraska of all places." He shook some of the remaining snow out of his hair and smiled brightly at Remy once more. "Luckily, they had a Starbucks at their airport that remains open twenty four hours a day. Everyone on the flight was given credit for a free coffee as a sort of compensation for the unexpected delay."
"Y' flew here from Nebraska?"
"Technically, I flew from Seattle. Nebraska was a layover." One of Spencer's hands came up and cupped Remy's cheek, cold against the warmth of his skin. The look in his eyes softened and warmed until they reminded the Cajun of melted chocolate. "I made a promise, remember? And I keep my promises. We finished up our case earlier than we thought, so I had Garcia get me on the first flight out and I told Hotch I was taking some time off. And here I am."
Remy couldn't stop himself. He threw his arms around Spencer again and held him tight. The melancholy that had sat in him all day was gone. Spencer was here in his arms, holding him back just as tightly, and everything in his world felt right again. It finally felt like Christmas.