(Australian slang: it'll be all right)
the obligatory (short) author's note: After a struggle with an undending piece of original fiction and a foray into Smallville fic, I'm back on Evo. Because (apparantly) it's like my drug of choice these days. Narcissistic as it may be, I enjoyed playing in the little universe I created in the last story arc so much that I decided to revisit it.
If you haven't read my other stories, don't despair! Only know that this is AU. St. John, Rogue and Remy have (amicably) distanced themselves from the rest of the x-men and are on the trail of the Friends of Humanity. If you have read my other stories, welcome!
I don't know yet if this will be another arc, or merely a tangent. We'll just have to wait and see. And finally, I've been a DC native for many a year and so some of the places mentioned in this story do exist, fictionalized of course.
* * *
John always picked sushi, an' so Wednesday night we went out for sushi. Ah'm not sure when it became a tradition with us. When we first got into town our energy had ta be focused on findin' jobs an' a place ta live. Then there was all th' stress o' cohabitation ta deal with. Ah think Remy's the most social outta all o' us, but even he gets funny when it comes ta personal space. One night when our tempers were all about ready ta burst, John swung open th' apartment door an' said, "Let's just go eat, right?"
It'd been sushi then too.
Th' restaurant was John's favorite: dim an' intimate with low tables. We each took a side, scramblin' a little over the pillows there ta make th' floor softer in case ya weren't used ta eatin' th' Japanese way. Didn't even bother ta read from th' menus anymore. Remy had th' California rolls, Ah had tuna an' John ordered some crazy eel thing that wouldn't even have been on th' menu anyway.
Once th' food came, Remy stared at his California roll like he was decidin' whether he hated it or not.
"It's not about t' get up an' walk away, mate," John offered helpfully, gesturin' with his chopsticks. He scooped up a piece of eel an' dropped it into his mouth, chewin' contemplatively.
"Dat's not de issue here," Remy protested.
John swallowed. "I know this isn't exactly your cuppa tea, but I like it." He dropped his eyes an' looked coyly at Remy through his lashes. "I know ya want t' keep me happy, darlin'." His voice was low an' seductive.
Ah laughed. That'd taken some gettin' used to at first -- John an' Remy'd been joke-flirtin' with each other for so long they didn't really know how ta interact any other way. Not that Ah was jealous, at least not in th' traditional way. John an' Remy's friendship was somethin' Ah'd never really be any part of. All Ah could do was stand on th' outside an' be glad that each o' them had such a good friend in th' other. An' they were both friends ta me too in any case.
"Uh oh," John said, catchin' sight o' my face, "we're neglecting our girlfriend. She's off in the never-never."
Ah shoved him. "Since when am Ah community property, smartass?"
John pretended ta pout. "That's not what ya said last night, shelia (girl)."
Remy held a mock-wounded hand against his forehead. "Y' could've at least told me, cheré!"
Ah looked back an' forth between 'em. "Ah swear, you two are nothin' but children sometimes."
"Children with chopsticks!" John added gleefully. He picked up another piece of eel an' waved it in my face. "Mmm. Eat up!"
"No!" Ah laughed, swattin' at his hand. He lost his grip on th' eel an' it sailed through th' air, landin' square in Remy's tea.
"Cor!" John whistled. "What're the odds o' that, eh?"
"Friendly fire, neh?" Remy, considerably less skilled with th' chopsticks, retaliated by droppin' a gob o' wasabi in my Coke.
"Hey! It wasn't even my eel that decided ta take a swim in your drink!"
"I wasn't aiming for your Coke." He sounded so upset an' looked so damn disappointed that John an' Ah immediately collapsed into fits o' laughter. Remy scowled. "Some friends y' are t' be making light of de shortcomings of others."
John wiped his eyes. "Sorry, mate."
"Ya are?" Ah inquired.
"No," he admitted with a devilish grin. That set Remy off too. Felt good ta laugh. It was such a simple luxury. When we were done, we leaned against th' table. My stomach muscles ached pleasantly. "Let's blow this popsicle stand," John suggested.
Ah shuddered. "Your grasp o' American slang is completely horrifyin'." John shot me a pathetic 'what did Ah do?' look. "Ah don't think anyone's called anythin' a 'popsicle stand' since th' 50s at least."
Remy chuckled. "Makes him unique."
"Besides, I don't think either o' you is in much of a position t' criticize my English, eh?"
Remy clicked his chopsticks, looked at his sushi an' then Ah'm pretty sure he decided against tossin' some o' his dinner at John's face.
* * *
Felt good t' be back in a southern direction again. Don't know if I would've ever gotten used t' de bitter cold in Massachusetts. Full of fish and rice, we went out into de mild DC night. Was de end of spring, moving on toward summer. After de grinding grey skies in April, we were glad t' be done wit' de month. Rogue moved light on her feet, de happiest I could ever remember seeing her. She was teasing John 'bout somet'ing, dancing around him, moving backwards, taunting. Sometimes she forgot dat we were supposed t' be keeping a low profile and she kicked off into de air, hovering a moment just a few inches over de ground. Only someone looking close from de outside would've noticed anyt'ing.
But dat's just what I was afraid of. Was about t' say somet'ing t' her when John put a hand out, touching her bicep lightly in warning. She dropped t' de ground and dey both fell back t' keep pace wit' me.
"Penny for 'em," John said.
Shrugged. "Not much dere."
"A penny's not much either," Rogue said gently. She slipped her hand t'rough de crook of my arm, linking us at de elbow. John did de same.
"We must look like somet'ing out of De Wizard of Oz," I complained mildly. John took a little skip forward in a passable imitation of Dorothy.
"Auntie Em! Auntie Em!" he wheedled, falsetto.
"Now Ah know Ah'll have nightmares," Rogue murmured.
Kissed her cheek. "I was just t'inking 'bout how I could be more useful."
John snorted. "Don't be daft. Y' are useful, a damn sight more than me. We have t' make rent somehow."
An old argument, but somehow we always came back t' it because I couldn't help feeling useless. De new eye color marked me out sure as if it'd been a red letter "M." And when de time came for one of us t' infiltrate de Friends of Humanity's world headquarters, John was de only natural choice. Dat left me and Rogue t' supply funds best we could, although she'd anticipated me by forbidding me from stealing.
"D'you know how coo-yon (stupid) dat is?" I'd asked her.
"Ah don't care," she'd insisted. "We're supposed ta be on th' good side. An' besides," she'd added, an intriguing gleam in her eye, "Ah want ya around nights." She'd slid her hands over my shoulders, coming in close.
"Can't fault de logic," I'd said, kissing her quickly under her jawline. "Just as long as y' know dat being a bike messenger is much more dangerous dan being a t'ief."
"An' pissin' me off is much more dangerous than either," she'd replied gently. So dat had decided it.
John broke de solemn mood dat had fallen over everyone by launching into his continually-evolving persona as a mutant hater. He yelled an' screamed, echoes of filthy words bouncing off de buildings. Rogue and I clapped when he was done. Wit' performances like dat, it was no surprise dat de FOH had snapped him up almost immediately.
"If Ah didn't know better, Ah'd think ya were actually serious," she whispered, dropping a wink. "D'ya have th' keys?" she asked me.
Dug in my pocket and came up wit' dem. Our apartment building was three story brick, a few blocks over into a bad neighborhood. It was what we could afford and no one looks too close at de people who live in those neighborhoods. In de six months we'd been dere, we'd never had a problem, but dat particular night was different.
"Someone's here," I said.
"What?" John demanded.
"Up dere." I pointed t' our window. "De curtains moved."
"Ah'll go." Rogue started from de ground, but I grabbed her wrist before she could get anywhere.
"Wait. What if dey're from de FOH? We don't want t' give John away."
John shuddered a little. "Really, really don't. I told ya what happened t' the last guy, right?" He made a twisting motion, moving his hands in opposite directions, and shuddered again.
"I'll go," I said.
"Like hell ya will."
"Oh for god's sake! We'll all go."
De steps had never seemed so long, or so loud. John stumbled once, but Rogue steadied him. De door was cracked open and a sliver of light pooled in de dark hallway. I looked at Rogue and John, took a deep breath and pushed open de door.
* * *
