Archiving And Criticism: The first yeah, sure; you like, you archive. Simple. I do appreciate an email to say thanks and where you've put it. The latter, just be warned I take things to heart so keep it constructive and nice or sink in a mire of angsty guilt. Yes, I have a weird written style. I suggest you live with it for the moment.
Summary: Iceman twigs at long last onto why Northstar keeps on saving him from various strange deaths. A date is arranged. Various reactions are expressed. Once again, this is a slash fic albeit a very shippy one if you have objections to gay guys eating ice-cream don't read it (ooh! what a major plot spoiler! Yes this is not metaphorical ice cream. Yes, I am a sarky little soul.)
So without further ado...
Sun, Sea, Surfing and Sarcasm: an adventure
PART ONE: Matters Of Life And Death
To be frank Bobby Drake was less than surprised when facing uncertain death for third time that day (the X-men as a whole not doing anything as mundane as certain death - they'd come back way too often. Except for Moira. Except for Colossus. And now it seemed, except for Jean) to be saved by a grey whirr moving slightly faster than his eyes could see. How those eyes could see was a mystery even to Robert Louis Drake the incredible Iceman. It seemed that he didn't even have optic nerves in his ice form - even with his slightly hooky knowledge of biology something didn't add up and even more it scared him he wasn't meant to see in his ice form any more than he was made to feel, to touch, in it and with every passing day it was coming closer to becoming his prison; beyond sense, beyond feeling, beyond love.
However, what did surprise Bobby Drake was the scream. Northstar, had knocked the big bad of the day flat on his ass (a sight which screaming notwithstanding the screaming made Bobby want to die laughing not that the big bad was all that big more kind of small/medium, some ex-Acolyte whose name he couldn't exactly remember -hell those guys had all dressed alike, it was hardly an aid to memory maybe that was the idea, Magneto's last cunning idea before he turned into an insane crippled sentinel infested mutant crack addict.) Bobby told himself to stop babbling and slid away towards the dank multi-storey car park that Northstar had flown into. Actually, flown was hardly the word more "been flung screaming in agony".
The car park was less than safe. The on-going battle seemed to have wrecked the foundations and there was a major case of concrete rot. Also it stank, really stank, the stink that one always associated with such edifices; piss, petrol and stale booze of the paper bag variety. Northstar was slumped against one of the columns.
That was not good. Northstar had one of the most ludicrously upright postures Bobby had ever seen. It was like he had something up his ass, mind after what Annie told him at that party; maybe he had. Bobby had to restrain a giggle and something more, something wrong but oh so right. But there was something way more important pressing on his mind. The slumped posture was one sign, the ragged breathing another. Bobby was surprised when the eyes flicked up in their sockets as he approached, anyone in that state he reckoned should be unconscious. Once again it seemed that Bobby was wrong, just as he was about Northstar when they met after the whole exploding boy incident when he had felt the need to impress on this seeming bastion of macho maleness his own male super stud credentials. And screwed up royally, because Northstar wasn't impressed, wasn't straight and was now totally blindsided; and, more importantly, entirely unreachable.
"Hey" It spoke! This bought him up a level on Bobby's personal consciousness-ometer. Though the state of the voice didn't make him feel all too good, weak and breathless.
"You okay? Ca Va?" Bobby asked remembering the alien phrase vaguely from Remy's strange random French in the face of peril. Hell, it was the one thing he was shore wasn't either a swear word or a blatant come-on. Not that blatant come-ons wouldn't be appreciated, but coming on to somebody in a seriously not-good state says that you either have a kink a mile long or you're serious scum. And Bobby didn't fit in either category. No scumminess, and no kinks, except one for really naked French-Canadian ski jumpers, and that so didn't count, because, like, it was never going to happen. Heck, did he just say "like"? He knew Valley Girl Disease was communicable, they needed to quarantine Jubilee fast.
The answer was even less promising than the sight that had greeted Bobby. A hacking cough that bought blood to Northstar's lips and a wince of pain and a distant hazy look to his eyes. He wasn't sure if he was focussing right, and was worried about that, imagining head injuries and the ruination of that brilliant mind.
Oh Hell, thought Bobby, he's on the verge of passing out. What are you meant to do with someone like that? Answer: keep them conscious 'til help arrives.
"'Sokay, Jean-Paul, do you mind that I call you that I can never tell what name you prefer; you know you seem unnervingly fond of your surname, hey maybe it's a Canadian thing, if all else fails blame Canada, eh? Now I'm just going to take a little look at how you are." Bobby touched Northstar's chest as gently as he could, trying to ignore the sharp intake of breath, counting despairing a multitude of broken ribs. He wasn't sure if they were from the initial charge into the Acolyte or the subsequent crash. One of the speedster's legs looked like it was at a strange angle and Bobby just prayed it was just a sprain, a torn muscle even. The only up-point was that the Olympic class babble seemed to be keeping Northstar awake.
"It's gonna be fine. The team are moving the battle away and it'll be over lickety-split. I mean, that's just so naff a power - I mean, virtual banana skin generation - what's that supposed to mean? Did I just say lickety-split? I need help before I turn into my first-grade teacher. Anyway we'll be up and away in no time, and you'll be back in Annie's tender care. And I'll do everything in my power to stop her refrigerating the thermometers again."
This got a giggle and a shudder. "It only hurts when I laugh," said Jean-Paul with a wan smile.
"Wahey! We are now entering clicherama!" cried Bobby, "has anyone told Rob Sterling? Nonna Nonna Nonna Nonna."
Again a smile. The unflappable sardonic sophisticated Northstar was smiling at this trademark childish silliness. Maybe Northstar was even more out of it than Bobby thought.
"At Lorna's bridal shower, you seemed kinda outspoken on the relative merits of our team-mates. I couldn't hear much of it because of Annie bending my ear back, but I sure you never said who you actually liked. Come on, you tell me who you fancy and I'll tell you who I like."
This was a stupid risky idea for more reasons than one. Disappointment, enmity, the serious risk that Northstar might just beat the crap out of him once he had recovered. Mind you, it was an all too delicious maybe. Maybe they were both thinking the same thoughts.
"Drake are you out of your mind, I'm gay, G-A-Y, gay. You don't want to ask"
Northstar sounded pretty angry but also kind of protective as if he didn't want to shatter Bobby's illusions, wanted to keep him safe from reality.
Pity was, Bobby didn't particularly want to play it safe, he just wanted to know and as he kept telling that greedy selfish part of his brain, this is keeping Jean-Paul awake and conscious. And he wanted reality, he wanted to escape from the prison that was his life, his destiny even. He wanted reality over and above the illusions and masks were his lot. Bobby was also a grade A wheedler (it was all those years of persuading Scott to go to Harry's rather than do his trig homework), "Come on, Vega, I'm cool"
"You" snapped Northstar at once irritated and bemused at the use of his true name and at the strange insistence. Perhaps if he answered truthfully the irritation would go away and he could die in peace.
"How did you guess my answer?" said Bobby with a grin.
Northstar was silent, his mouth open in shock and tender surprise. Temptingly open, as Bobby leant in and kissed those open lips.
To be continued...