1997, Rescue:

The boy's maybe five foot with shaggy, brown hair and wild, dark eyes. He's half an animal but no one deserves what the other guy was going to do to the boy.

'You're okay, kid?' Remy asks

'Why did you help me?' The boy asks suspiciously.

'You looked like you needed help.'

'I can take care of myself.' The boy opens his lighter and draws a flame into his hands. The man's corpse is ash in the matter of seconds.

'Impressive.' Remy says and takes the boy's lighter before he can react: 'But never let go of this.' He gives it back: 'You owe me.'

'What do you want?'

'Relax. I want your name.'

'It's John. John Allerdyce.'

'See, I'm Remy LeBeau. I know a place where you can stay.'

He takes John to Xavier and leaves him there but John calls after him and demands to know why. He's so fiery and grumpy that it reminds Remy of Logan. He leans down and kisses John and tells him:

'That's why.'

1999, Heartbreak:

Remy calls Xavier's mansion and tells Storm to stop worrying because John sits safely in his flat and on his bed and yes, Remy is going to bring him back for school on Monday.

It's not how he imagined his Saturday night to go but when John turned up on his doorstep he looked so broken and miserable that Remy didn't have the heart to send him away. Logan would probably make fun of him if he was here but he isn't and Remy can freely admit that he's fond of John since he saved his life two years ago.

He gives John a drink and lets him cry out his heart about his roommate Bobby who broke up with him because of a new girl in the mansion.

Afterwards he lets John sleep in his bed and kisses his hair when he slips under the sheets with him.

2000, Rebound:

This new John that comes to him amazes Remy because he's not as different from the old John as John would like to pretend. He only has more hard edges than before.

It's the first time they have sex but what bothers Remy is that while John lets him be kissed he doesn't kiss back.

2003, Recruiting:

'We're attacking Alcatraz.' John tells him over a drink.

'Good luck with that.' Remy says. He's never been one for sides. Taking a side decreases your chances of survival exponentially if said side loses.

'You could fight with us.' John suggests but Remy rolls his eyes at him, as if he would pick a side when Logan fights on one and John on the other.

'Take care of yourself.' He tells John and gives him a kiss that says 'good luck' and 'goodbye' equally.

'And find a better hairdresser.' Remy ads and gestures at John's blonde head.

2003, Coma:

They had to shave his awful hair to get a better look at the wound and his hands are bandaged. No one knows when he's going to wake up, or if he's going to wake up at all.

Logan is a wreck after having to kill Jean and Bobby seems to be torn between enjoying sex with his newly cured girlfriend and feeling guilty over John. Remy wonders what John ever saw in him.

'Why the fuck are you here?' Is the first thing John asks when he wakes up.

Remy laughs and kisses him because he really has no better answer.

2006, First:

'I thought you were an X-Man now.' Remy says when John sits down on the other side of the table.

'Thought wrong.'

'I thought you were back with your ex-boyfriend, too.'

'Thought wrong again.' John leans back. His hair is short and tidy and his left hand clutches his lighter like a lifeline. His dark eyes seem to glow and while he certainly isn't tall he has nothing of that five-foot animal-like kid that Remy saved nine years ago.

'Was I a replacement for Logan?' John asks bluntly.

'Not in the last years.' Remy admits.

'That's supposed to be enough?' John asks.

'That's your decision.' Remy answers.

'Has to be.' John says and leans over the table to kiss Remy.

John kisses hesitatingly as if he's not sure Remy will allow him to kiss him, which is ridculous because Remy has kissed John five times and the last three were decidedly non-platonic kisses.

Remy makes a protesting noise when John draws back.

'You weren't kissing back.' John explains.

'I was in shock. You've never kissed me before.' Remy smirks.

'I was waiting for the world to end.' John explains but his explanation makes no sense to Remy.

'It didn't end.' Obviously, since they're still here.

'That's why I'm here. I wanted forever but I couldn't have that while the world was ending.'

'We'll have to work on your ways to say 'I love you' but I want sex first.' Remy mutters and drags John with him.