A Difficult Decision

Chapter Two: Deep Concern

Bobby Drake made his way out into the gardens later that evening, assigned with the task of ensuring all the students were safely inside the mansion. The ice mutant was just about to turn back towards the huge building when a small red glow caught his eye. He watched as the glow brightened briefly before moving off to the side. It was then Bobby noticed the dark shadow sitting behind the glow.

"You know that smoking's not allowed on school grounds," the cryokinetic made his way towards the shadow.

"I know," John took another long drag from the cigarette in his hand. "That's how I managed to confiscate this packet from one of the kids," he smirked as Bobby screwed up his face. "Besides – Logan smokes."

Bobby laughed quietly as he sat down next to the fire mutant, put at ease by the lack of his normal aggression. Even after everything that had happened between them – and perhaps because of everything that had happened between them – the two mutant's seemed to have developed a high level of understanding.

"Logan is older than me and bigger than me," he arched an eyebrow. "You're neither."

John curled his lip up and inhaled again from his cigarette.

"Could still kick your ass," he muttered although there was no malice in his tone.

"I'm in no rush to put that to the test again," Bobby replied softly. John arched an eyebrow, finishing his cigarette and pulling out the tiny sparks, throwing the extinguished cigarette on the ground in front of him as he twirled a small fireball round his fingers.

"I don't know if I ever said thank for… you know… coming back for me," the fire mutant eventually said quietly. "So eh… thanks."

Bobby couldn't help but smile faintly.

"No problem," he shrugged slightly to keep the mood relatively light. "You haven't made me regret it yet."

John let out a quick laugh.

"Well I do try and behave myself," he smirked before reaching into his pocket and pulling out another cigarette, manipulating the little fireball in his hand to light it. Bobby's smile widened albeit cautiously.

"I like that things have been… peaceful."

John took a deep breath – of fresh air this time.

"Yeah, well…" he frowned slightly. "That's just 'cause the humans are behaving themselves."

Bobby arched an eyebrow, deciding to steer the conversation away from politics just in case it started an argument.

"I thought you always said you'd quit smoking."

"I did," John blew a big billow of smoke out in front of himself. "Just started up again."

Bobby looked at the fire mutant dubiously but didn't argue with him.

"So… what you been up to then?"

"Like I'm gonna tell you x-man," Pyro smirked. Bobby rolled his eyes.

"Whatever Pyro."

The pyrokinetic chuckled quietly, taking another drag from his cigarette.

"Haven't been up to much actually," he shrugged. "Since Mystique hasn't really needed me I've just been hanging out at home."

"Home? Do you not all stay together?"

"No… not at the moment," John took another drag of tobacco. "Since things have been quiet I got my own place. I just go back to the base when Mystique needs me," the fire mutant's voice grew ever so slightly quieter. "Jamie stays there too."

A slight frown pulled on Bobby's brow as John extinguished the cigarette in his hand, immediately reaching into his pocket for another.

"You never used to smoke this much," he commented

John bristled defensively, blowing smoke from his lips sharply, waving the cigarette in Bobby's direction.

"Only my fifth cigarette in almost two years."

Bobby looked from the cigarette in John's hand to the four finished ones littering the ground in front of him.

"You're really worried about that guy who's missing aren't you?"

John scowled.

"What, bad guys not allowed to have friends?"

"Of course not! I mean yes – of course you can have friends," Bobby sighed, chastising himself for causing the sudden air of hostility. He offered the fire mutant a reassuring smile. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Oh well if you're sure than it will all be ok won't it?" John grumbled, continuing to inhale long, deep breaths from his cigarette.

"I just meant that you don't know something has happened to him."

"He would have called by now," John insisted.

"But maybe…"

"Bobby, we live together…" John reiterated quietly, clenching his fist around the fireball he twirled in his spare hand. "He would have called."

"He could have just been distracted," Bobby continued, not noticing just how agitated the pyrokinetic was growing. "Maybe he met someone or…"

"Drake we live together," John snapped. "Together,together, so the thought of him being with someone else isn't much more appealing than thinking something's happened to him."

Bobby's eyes widened slightly as he shut his mouth abruptly. John sighed heavily, running his spare hand through his hair as the other raised the cigarette back to his lips.

"Sorry, I never realised…" Bobby stammered apologetically. "I thought he was just another Brotherhood mutant."

"He is Brotherhood," John shrugged slightly. "Just… when Mystique said he'd gone out for supplies what she really meant was he left our place to go to the grocery store cause I had a craving for hot n' spicy pizza."

Bobby shook his head slightly in disbelief.

"I didn't even know you were…"

"Gay?" John prompted, rolling his eyes as Bobby's voice trailed off. "Well for the record I did try and tell you several times."

"Really?" Bobby's brow furrowed.

"Yeah," the fire mutant mumbled through a billow of smoke. "You were always too busy with your new girlfriend."

Bobby bit his lip guiltily.

"I'm sorry John."

The fire mutant waved a hand dismissively.

"No big deal," he shrugged although Bobby's guilty expression remained.

"So…" the ice mutant ventured after a brief silence. "Is it serious with you two?"

John scoffed slightly.

"We live together," he repeated. "I'd call that fairly serious."

"True…sorry I didn't…" the ice mutant laughed quietly. "I didn't mean to imply it wouldn't be serious – I'm just used to you being single," he arched an eyebrow questioningly. "So is he in the Brotherhood cause you're together or…"

"What is this, twenty questions?" the pyrokinetic muttered, stubbing out his cigarette on the ground and throwing it with the rest but this time he did not light up another. "Nah, he joined up before we got together – that's how I met him. We busted him outa prison when we were busting out Mystique."

"Prison?" Bobby queried.

"Yeah, he's a bank robber by trade," John shrugged. Bobby laughed quietly at the fire mutant's casual tone.

"So… how long ago was that?"

"Oh, just before Alcatraz."

"Really?" Bobby's eyes widened slightly. "That long ago? And he was at Alcatraz?"

"No, he wasn't there. He was acting as a decoy at our base, fooling any satellite surveillance."

"Right, of course, Hank said something about a duplicating mutant…" Bobby nodded, a slight smile pulling on his lips as he glanced over at the pyrokinetic. Talking about the multiplying mutant seemed to be easing John's worry over his absence. "So… you've been together for a long time then."

"Oh, we haven't been together the whole time, just…" John shrugged. "We just fooled around for a while and then," the fire mutant bowed his head sheepishly. "Jamie pointed out that we weren't fooling around with anyone else so…"

Bobby nodded slowly as John's voice drifted off, trying not to smile too broadly at the pyrokinetic's sudden shyness. He arched an eyebrow as he noticed the fire mutant was fidgeting with a steel ring on his left hand ring finger.

"Must be serious," he smiled. John frowned slightly and looked over at the ice mutant, quickly shaking his head as he realised what Bobby was looking at.

"Oh this? No, this just… I just woke up one morning and I was wearing it. I mean we never… spoke about it just..." the fire mutant sighed heavily, bowing his head and running his hands through his hair. "We never talk about us – or I don't talk about us. He's always telling me that he loves me and I just tell him that's 'cause he's crazy – which he kinda is – and the only times I can ever actually say it back is when I'm drunk or… exhausted… or…" John laughed dryly, shaking his head. "…and I don't know why I'm telling you all this."

Bobby smiled faintly.

"'Cause we're friends?"

John scoffed.

"Friends? You really think we could ever be friends again?"

"Yeah," Bobby replied simply. The ice mutant studied the pyrokinetic thoughtfully. "Do you remember that time when you had just not long arrived and you had that huge fight with one of the other kids? And then you picked a fight with Summers?"

"Vaguely…" John grumbled.

"And do you remember what I said to you when I came and found you in your room?"

"I remember telling you to fuck off," the fire mutant muttered.

"I told you that you don't have to be scary fire guy twenty-four seven," Bobby said simply. "You still don't have to be scary fire guy twenty-four seven," he held up a hand to stop John turning his scary fire guy expression – and mouth – on him. "I think that's just who you are John. I believe that all the terrible things you've done have been driven by the fact that you do actually care about other people."

"Says Bobby Drake, licensed psychiatrist," John rolled his eyes. Bobby shook his head.

"So you're saying that you did everything you've done purely to be violent and destructive?" he asked, giving a small nod as the fire mutant bowed his head again. "I think that you do it because deep down you wanna protect the people you care about."

"Is that what you think is it?" John mumbled, head still bowed.

"Yeah, that's what I think," Bobby nodded definitely. "You're allowed to have friends and lovers and…" he shrugged slightly. "Or else what the hell are you fighting for?"

"I guess…" the fire mutant admitted reluctantly. Bobby smiled faintly, trying not to look to triumphant.

"So… tell him how you really feel when we find him."

The slightest of smiles pulled on John's lips.

"Meh, I'll think about it…" the pyrokinetic replied quietly. Bobby rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Stubborn asshole," he muttered, although his smile remained as a brief silence fell over the two.

"So, what about you Drake?" John asked, seeking to maintain conversation in a bid to stop himself lighting up again. "Still with Marie?"

"Yeah, still with Marie," the ice mutant nodded, a slightly sheepish grin pulling at his lips. "We're eh… we're having a baby."

"Really?" John's eyes widened in surprise. "Well, congratulations," he said genuinely although he couldn't help but curl his lip up slightly. "She's still dosing up on the cure then?"

"John…" Bobby sighed helplessly. "Don't start."

"Not starting anything," the fire mutant shrugged, reaching for that cigarette he had been trying to avoid. Bobby rolled his eyes at John's tone.

"Look, I understand your objections to it, really I do. It should never have been used as a weapon," the ice mutant conceded. "And I do worry that it'll be misused – I mean if I were younger and still at home I'm sure mom and dad would'a… encouraged me to take it."

"Forced you," John corrected and Bobby didn't argue. The fire mutant shook his head. "There's nothing wrong with the way we are."

"And that's why there are counsellors in every clinic," Bobby pointed out diplomatically. "To make sure people are taking the cure for the right reasons."

"There are no right reasons," John replied bluntly. Bobby sighed quietly.

"Surely you can understand why those like Marie take it? I mean she used to spend every waking minute terrified of hurting people – people she cared about."

"And?"

"Oh come on John! Would you really deprive some mutants of the chance to have relationships? To have children?"

"If that's their mutation…" John shrugged. Bobby shook his head.

"Have you never wanted children?"

John scoffed.

"I'm gay and come from a long line of abusive fathers so no – kids aren't on the agenda."

"Then you can't understand what it's like!" Bobby tried to keep his tone reasonable. "What about… I mean what if your power meant you couldn't be intimate with Jamie? Would you not even think about it?"

"No," John replied stubbornly. Bobby took a deep breath, shaking his head helplessly but was prevented from replying as the professor's voice.

Could everyone please return to my office, we have located James